Alphabet Soup
by Caitriona3
Summary: Darcy Lewis - Hero Handler, Scientist Wrangler, and all-around Babysitter - her life in 26 chapters as prompted by the alphabet.
1. A is for Alcohol

**A is for Alcohol**

Darcy Lewis stalked through SHIELD headquarters muttering under her breath. Even the sight of baby agents scurrying out of her way could not make her smile – though it was nice to know she could inspire such reactions. Right now, though, her mind was firmly fixed on giving her boss hell.

She was not a babysitter.

Her stride hitched slightly.

Okay, yes, she was a babysitter considering her main job consisted of herding a pack of half-crazy, half-clueless, all brilliant scientists through daily life necessities such as eating and sleeping. Her part time job – doing the same for adrenaline hyped heroes – only added support to the argument.

But! That did not mean she needed yet another "kid" to keep!

Coulson had called her less than an hour ago. "I need you to come pick up a new agent. He'll be on probation with the Avengers."

"You have got to be kidding," she replied, dodging a Nerf arrow. "The asylum is full up."

"Make room." He hung up.

Now she barreled into his office, noting but ignoring the additional person. Since it wasn't Hill or Fury, she wasn't interrupting anything more major than a dressing down and it could wait. She didn't stop until she reached his desk. "Are you kidding?"

"Miss Lewis," Coulson started.

"No." Darcy spoke with a fierce intensity. "I've got three scientist to manage, one of whom is Tony-frickin'-Stark. I've got the alter ego of one of those afore mentioned scientists who only listens to three people on the planet when he's pissed off. I've got two master assassins who evade medical better than they do enemy weapons. I've got a god of thunder who shocks the neighbors and a misplaced super soldier who gets shocked by the neighbors. I've got an AI to keep out of SHIELD's hair and a fire-retardant spraying robot with the attitude of a puppy running around." She threw up her hands. "None of that counts the equally insane allies and friends of the bunch as well as the psychotic enemies they each seem to pick up as easy as breathing." She put her hands on the desk and leaned forward. "Needless to say, and no offense intended, but I do not have room for another inmate. My ward is full."

Coulson waited for a beat. "Are you finished?" She rolled her eyes. His eyebrow twitched. "Good." He gestured with his chin. "Miss Lewis, meet your newest patient."

Darcy growled at him, but turned to glance behind her.

"Oh my God."

Spinning fully around, she stared at the man slouched in the chair giving her a suspicious once over.

Standard SHIELD uniform topped with short brown hair, ice blue eyes, pale skin, and a metallic left hand.

Darcy shifted to the side and collapsed more than sat in the chair beside Coulson's desk. She blinked and turned to face her boss once more.

"Alcohol, boss," she said emphatically. "If I have to tell the others about this, you better be prepared to shell out for a lot of alcohol."


	2. B is for Blip

**B is for Blip**

Darcy pulled her newest charge out of Coulson's office and down to the garage. She got into the car and waved a hand at him. "Okay, get in. We're going to go over a few ground rules on the way to the mansion."

"Ground rules, Agent Lewis?"

She rolled her eyes. "Darcy, just Darcy. I'm not an agent. I will never be an agent. SHIELD couldn't pay me enough to be an agent."

"Why not?" he asked as he tilted his head.

"Because I am not dancing to Fury's tune," she replied.

"But you'll work for Agent Coulson?"

"Coulson's a whole different topic and we'll cover that later." She waved at security and hit the gas. "JARVIS?"

"Yes, Miss Lewis?"

The English accent coming from the car's dash seemed to unnerve her newest charge. She grinned. "Did SHIELD plant anything?"

A light played over the interior and exterior of the car. "No, Miss Lewis," JARVIS replied. "There are no additional monitoring devices on the vehicle. Your guest, however, has a tracking device in the lining of his collar."

Darcy rolled her eyes and pulled over. "Lean this way." She felt along the edge of the collar until she found the small tracker. With a quick tug she pulled it loose. She started driving the car once more and pulled up next to a pickup truck. Giving a snap of her wrist, she let it fly and grinned as it landed in the bed. "Let them follow that blip for a while."

His lips curved in a reluctant smile. "You much be one hell of a dame."

"You've got no idea."

She pulled into traffic. She caught a glimpse of his face during one of the moving stops and she realized he was seeing two different cities at the same time. "Is it very different?"

"Sort of," he said softly. "I've been here a time or two since, but…" He trailed off before giving a shrug. "Crowds of people going about their business, never looking up, never really seeing what's around them." He looked at her. "It just taller, bigger, and shinier than it used to be. Other than that, it's the city." Quiet settled over the car as she wove through traffic. "Anyway," he continued after a few minutes. "You said something about ground rules?"

"Yeah," she nodded. "Most of them are pretty basic. Don't, for all that is good, don't bring up Howard Stark. There are issues there. If you drink the last of the coffee, start a new pot. Otherwise you are on your own when it comes to dealing with the caffeine-deprived scientists of the house. Jane and Tony will roast your liver."

"What?" He seemed surprised as a hoarse sort of chuckle came from his own mouth.

"Oh, you have not met dangerous until you deprive them of coffee." She pulled around a small car, muttering about people double parking before continuing. "Do not get between Natasha and Clint. If you have to pass between them to go from point A to point B, that's fine. Stopping, blocking them from each other? Bad, bad, bad idea. You will get hurt."

"They're…?" He let his voice trail off in a questioning note.

"Complicated," she replied. "Now, don't eat the last of the Pop-Tarts. Thor starts pouting and that's just sad. He's this big puppy like guy, and people just want to pat him on the head. Try not to get Bruce upset, because Hulk only listens to three of us, and if one of us isn't right there to help, then damage gets done and Bruce gets broody." She tapped her chin while waiting at the light. "Oh, and while Tony may practically own everything? Pepper is the one who runs everything. You will regret it if you get her upset."

"What about Steve?"

She blinked. "Huh." She thought for a minute. "Steve's usually the most laid back of the whole team. He just hates it when people are fighting." She glanced at him from the corner of her eye. "I'm not sure how you're going to throw off the rhythm."

"But you think I will?"

"Oh, honey," she laughed as she pulled into the grounds. "You are going to send things into a spin. It'll be how it all gets reassembled that'll be intriguing to see." She put the car in park and turned to face him. "Any questions?"

"How does Coulson fit in?"

"Coulson is dad," she smirked. "He puts up the basic boundaries and lets everyone go crazy within them. He cleans up the messes when people color outside the lines and gives us this disappointed look that sends everyone into apologetic mode. He listens; he argues; he cajoles – whatever gets people moving the way they need to in order for things to work. He filters Fury so the team doesn't tell SHIELD where to take itself. He's the guardian at the gate." Her eyes narrowed. "Don't get Phil pissed with you. The man's a ninja. And even if he doesn't do anything? The team will."

He looked thoughtful. "And what about you?"

"Me?"

"Well," he said thoughtfully, "you've warned me about all of the others, but what will affect you?"

She stared at him for a long moment. "Don't deliberately screw with my people. That team in there?" She pointed to the house. "They're my family. It's an insane, madcap, mixed up, impossible sort of family."

"Impossible?"

"Oh, they'll pull off six impossible things before breakfast if you let them." She grinned. "Wonderland's not a bad comparison. Don't say anything to Tony though; he'll start trying to trademark 'Starkland'."

"Does that make me Alice?" he asked.

"No," she said thoughtfully. "You've been in and out of the world, so you're not really coming in new." Her eyes sparkled. "Might mean Steve's the one down the rabbit hole though. I wonder who that makes me?" She paused in consideration. "Well, as long as I'm not the Queen of Hearts." She laughed. "Would you like to be the Mad Hatter?"

"I'll say this, Dollface," he said. "You are something else."

"We're all mad here." Darcy led him to the door. "Welcome to the Avengers, James 'Bucky' Barnes. Best of luck and I hope you survive."


	3. C is for Construct

**C is for Construct**

"You have to talk to him sooner or later, you know."

Darcy watched as Tony Stark glanced at her reflection in the screen closest to him before choosing to ignore her. "Oh, no, you don't." She moved around until she stood in his space, half blocking his access to his tools. He tilted his head to peer at her like she was some kind of alien life form.

"I'm working here," he told her.

"I see that," she said sarcastically. "Don't care; you're coming up for dinner tonight."

"Ah, no, really, I'm not." He reached around her for a screwdriver.

"Oh, yes, really, you are." She snatched the tool out of his hand and shook it at him. "You're coming to dinner, or I'm having all of the coffee cut off." His eyes narrowed and she lifted her chin. "Don't think I won't get Pepper and JARVIS both in on it."

"Why?" he asked. "Why is it so important to you that I interact with the man?"

She stared at him and dragged in a breath. "Because it's important to Steve," she replied. "And because he's on the team. If you can't talk to the man, how are you supposed to fight beside him?"

"I can fight with him," he protested absently, falling back into his plans for a new robot.

"Beside him, Tony, not with him," she sighed.

"That too," he muttered in distraction. "It doesn't require talking."

Darcy gave a small scream.

"Okay," Tony said, tossing her an annoyed glance. "It's important to Steve, and you want us all to play nice. Why bother me about it? It's not like I'm kicking him out."

She forced herself to inhale a deep breath. "Tony, you like construction, right?"

"Engineer," he noted.

"Right," she huffed. "One of the definitions of 'construct' is to set in logical order."

"Still not getting where you're going with this, Miss Stacked."

She rolled her eyes and lightly smacked him on the head. "Let's look at this, then, huh?" She started counting off on her fingers. "I can't go to Tasha first – she's got her own history with him, and needs to work it out. Clint? See Tasha above. Bruce isn't going to rock the boat because he's a loveable idiot who is still worried about his place here, so he's waiting to see where the rest of the team falls on the issue. Thor is an alien, a fabulous guy, but not up with all the history and his actions aren't going to sway anybody. Steve's not in any position to be objective, and Pepper's going to follow your lead." She stopped and narrowed her eyes. "I have no idea how everything's going to settle, but I need you to check your avoidance issues at the door and step up on this."

"Lewis, you are a pain in the ass."

"Yeah, so?"

"So, fine, whatever." Tony shook his head. "Let's get takeout tonight. We might as well have food to go with the awkward silences at dinner."

Darcy walked towards the door. "It won't be that bad."

"Want to bet?"


	4. D is for Deafen

**D is for Deafen**

The silence was deafening.

Darcy stood in the doorway and watched her team reacting to the newcomer. Tasha sat in a chair in the furthest corner, her hard eyes watching his every move. Clint perched on the table behind her, ready to back her up in whatever way she needed. Bruce lurked in the kitchen, keeping an eye on things over the bar, his eyes darting from one face to the next. Pepper had greeted him with a calm, but reserved manner.

Steve stood a few feet in front of him, clearly torn on how to react. His desire to fold Bucky into the team was clear, but so too was his need to support the others. The sharp contrast between hope and fear in his eyes ripped at Darcy's heart.

Tony was nowhere to be seen.

She was going to kill him.

Darcy stepped forward, taking a breath. "Why don't we-"

"What happened to takeout?" Tony breezed in behind her. "I specifically recall requesting food."

Kill him; don't kill him…she needed to flip a coin.

Tony scooted around her, poking her in the ribs. "That was your job." He kept going, not giving her the chance to respond. The room held its collective breath as he strolled up to their newest member and looked him over. "So, Nuada, both Agent and Miss Stacked seem to think you're a fit for the team."

"Agent?" Barnes asked after sending a quick glance at Darcy.

"Yeah," Tony replied, waving a hand. "Stoic, expressionless suit who still manages to be more fun than Eyepatch."

"Coulson?"

"Well, I certainly wasn't talking about Hill," Tony huffed. "She's less fun than Fury." He tilted his head. "You do realize to be part of this team you either have to be an absolute genius or practically insane, right? We don't do things by half measure."

Darcy rubbed her forehead. The scale was tipping back towards the 'kill Tony' side.

"Which one are you?" Barnes asked, a smirk edging the corners of his mouth.

Tony blinked. "Oh, funny guy." He shook his head. "We've got Featherhead for sarcastic commentary, thanks."

"Tony-" Darcy started.

"No, no," Tony flapped a hand at her. "We're talking here." He turned back and watched Barnes repress a smile. "What?"

Barnes lifted an eyebrow. "I'm guessing you put yourself down on the genius end of the scale?" Tony gave him an insulted look. "Just wanted to be clear." He shrugged. "Anybody that goes around interrupting a woman like that," he gestured to Darcy, "might need to be reclassed."

"Miss Stacked and I have an understanding," Tony answered haughtily.

"Yeah," Darcy muttered under her breath. "The understanding that I'm going to kill you in a minute."

He tossed a quick grin in her direction, but focused on Barnes. "So?"

"If you're a genius, what are the others?"

Tony turned around the room pointing to each person. "Pepper and Nat are both geniuses; Featherhead and Capsicle are crazy; Bruce and Miss Stacked are both." He rubbed his chin. "For the record, when you meet them later, Betty's a genius, Thor is crazy, and Jane is both. I can fill you in on anybody else later." His eyes narrowed. "So, where do you fit?"

"Probably a little of both," Barnes replied.

"Huh." Tony stared at him. "We can work with that." He turned around, seeming to dismiss Barnes from his mind, to look at Darcy. "You know, I still don't see any takeout."

She glared at him, but the mood of the room lightened slightly as people smiled or laughed or relaxed. She sighed. "Okay, okay, JARVIS and I will order your damn takeout." She stalked away, holding in a relieved smile.

Tony had come through and broken the ice. Maybe she wouldn't have to kill him now.

"Hey, Lewis, order us a cake too!"

Then again…


	5. E is for Ether

**E is for Ether**

Darcy moaned as pain splintered through her head.

"Good evening, Miss Lewis."

She cracked her eyes open to stare at an older man in a white coat standing over her. He should not look scary with his glasses, balding head, and short stature. He should look like any number of the SHIELD scientists who stayed buried in their labs all their lives. The frightening part came from his expression – impartial, indifferent, and remote.

She tried to move, but found herself strapped down.

"I would apologize for the rather drab surroundings-"

"Don't bother," she interrupted, trying for annoyance. "Who the hell are you?"

A cold smile settled on the man's face. "You may refer to me as Doctor Harland." He reached out and grasped her chin, forcibly turning her head. His other hand prodded at a sore spot behind her ear. She flinched and he stepped back. "The men were a little too anxious I think. We will need to wait a bit longer."

"For what?" Her eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"We need some information, Miss Lewis," he answered with another chilly look. "Unfortunately the best drugs we have may not work properly with a head injury. We shall wait for another hour or so before beginning."

"You need information? Like what – my best brownie recipe? My filing system?" She rolled her eyes, hoping he would not notice her heart racing. "It's not like I've got much for someone."

"You are quite wrong, my dear," he said, tapping a finger on her cheek. She pulled back from his touch and a hint of cruelty threaded through the ice in his gaze. "We are after the Avengers." She started to reply, but he grasped her chin with bruising force. "Don't even try, Miss Lewis. We have been watching very carefully, and our organization has eyes even within the mighty SHIELD. You are central to the team. Even the most anti-social among them has been seen enjoying your company." He paused, staring at her. "I must admit to some admiration. I wonder what it is that has impressed both the reserved Black Widow and the aloof Winter Soldier?" Her eyes must have flickered or widened. "Yes, we are aware of the Avengers' newest acquisition. Do they truly trust him?" Then he shook his head. "Never mind for now; it is something to follow up on later. It will be interesting to find out."

"You won't-" she started, trying to force the words out despite his tight hold of her.

His hand tightened even more. She could not hold back the gasp of pain and his pitiless smile grew. "Oh, I think we will. I think you underestimate our abilities." He examined her once more. "What is it about you, hmm? Thor and Captain America are easily understood; they seem to like everybody. Hawkeye jokes with you while Iron Man has actually been known to actively listen to you. Impressive." He moved his face closer, still holding her painfully still, until he filled her sight entirely. "And why does the Hulk listen to you?" He continued staring at her with callous curiosity. "Phil Coulson, a man who has never seen the need for a full-time assistant, not only hires you, but makes you the key contact for his team." She tried to pull back, tried to become part of the table just to get away. He held her for a long moment before finally letting go and stepping back. She could feel the bruises forming on her jaw. His slight stature was deceptive. "You are an enigma, Miss Lewis. I never could pass up on a mystery." He brushed her hair back from her face. She could not decide which bothered her more – the fact that he touched her at all or his complete indifference as he did so. "We shall speak again soon, Miss Lewis. I believe it will be a most profitable conversation." He strode out.

She quivered and then tried to draw in a deep breath. All she could think of was her mother's old advise 'fake it until you make it'. "Now I know how a fly feels when the spider's looming," she muttered. Her head pounded. "Really?" she continued in the low whisper, trying to buoy herself with false bravado. "What ever happened to chloroform or ether?" She twisted, squirmed, all to no avail. They had her well and truly trapped.

She looked around the room, noting the blank walls, broken only by a single door, an air vent, and a large piece of one-way glass. She lay alone in a small cold room. It fit the clinical man who just left. She would call him a robot, but that seemed to be an insult to DUM-E.

God, all she had wanted was a spice mocha.

She wanted to go home. She really wanted to go home.

Tears pricked at her eyes, but she forced them back. Not yet, it was too early for her to cry. She needed to hold on; she needed to give them time.

Her head hurt.

Darcy closed her eyes in supplication. "Okay team," she mumbled. "Now would be a good time for some thrilling heroics."


	6. F is for Frail

**F is for Frail**

"Let's start with something easy, shall we?" A cool voice sounded in her ears, but she couldn't quite focus on the face. "Tell me, Miss Lewis, how do you feel?"

Frail. Fragile. Flimsy. Darcy tried to pull her mind back into some kind of order, tried to stay quiet. "Floaty?"

Damn it.

The drugs coursed through her system. She could almost feel the burn of them in her brain, dragging at her. She felt like she was one step back from her body, watching everything, but unable to control anything. A hand patted her arm. It felt like a slap, but she couldn't move. Her mind skittered away from the touch.

The cool voice came again. "What is your full name?"

"Darcy Marie Lewis." It came out slowly, like it was being dragged across wet cement.

"Good, good, excellent, Miss Lewis."

Doctor Harland…jackass…mad scientist…oh yeah, now she remembered the face. Cold eyes…cold, cold eyes…damn it, she needed to focus. What the hell had he given her?

"The Veridicos drugs appear to be affecting the subject," he continued in a monotone. "Subject clearly has no desire to answer questions, but seems unable to resist. Answers are slower than normal; subject's personality may prove more resistant to drugs than normal. Future experimentation slated if possible to test varying levels of the drug mixture."

She didn't like the sound of that. Who was he talking to?

He moved into her line of sight. He reached out and pinched her arm. She whimpered. The small pinch caused a sharp burst of pain, but she couldn't move. He spoke into a recorder. "Subject shows no physical reaction to contact." He looked at her face. "You clearly felt the pinch, Miss Lewis."

"Hurt."

"Why did you not react? Pull away in some manner?"

"Couldn't move." Frustration built up as she found herself unable to resist answering.

His lips curved in a pleased smile. "Excellent." He lifted the recorder. "Subject confirms previous experiments. The combination of hyper-ketamine, venom, and the Erskine excipient has proven an effective method of both control and chastisement. The new dosage has rendered the subject incapable of the majority of her voluntary movements while still allowing verbal responses. It is recommended for future use as the higher levels of pain at lower levels of interrogation should provide a more efficient return for time spent."

He stepped out of her sight. She tried to follow his movement, but her body still would not respond to her. He could release all of the straps right now and it would do her no good. She was trapped in her own body. She could barely move her jaw to answer his questions.

She could hear him talking, but it was too low for her to make out any words. After several minutes he returned to stand over her. "If I were you, Miss Lewis, I would answer our questions and then remain useful to the science department." His clinical voice and detached expression terrified her more than the most vicious of threats. "Should we cease to find you valuable, we have orders to turn you over to security." He gave a tiny shrug. "I do not believe you would find their plans or their company…agreeable." A loud crash brought his head around. "Now what?"

He walked out of her view. She heard the door slam open. The sounds of gunshots, fighting, assailed her ears. Another closer, but quieter crash ended with a garbled cry.

"Darcy!"

She knew that voice. She couldn't look, but she knew that voice.

A shadow moved into her vision. It drew closer and coalesced into a form she recognized.

She smiled. "Hey, Cap." Her voice sounded broken, soft even in her own ears.

"We're going to get you out of here." The pure conviction in Steve's voice relaxed the tight knot inside her. A tear slid free and trickled out of the corner of her eye. He reached towards her.

"No," she breathed out.

He frowned and pulled back. His eyes scanned her. "What is it?"

Another face came into view before she could answer.

"Tasha."

"Darcy." Natasha gripped her arm. She jerked away when a small moan slipped out of Darcy's throat. The green eyes went dark with concern. "What?"

Darcy's lips twisted. "Drugs." She took a breath. "Can't move." Another breath. "Touch hurts."

"Who did this?" Steve asked.

"Mad scientist." She gave a soft sniff. "Harland." She blinked. "Was here…headed towards the door when we heard the crash."

Natasha moved away, but Darcy could still hear her in the room. She heard a ripping sound and then Natasha was back. The red-head held up an identification card. "Is this him?"

Darcy forced herself to focus. "Yeah." Her sight went a little hazy, and she blinked to try and bring them back in focus. "That's him." Her eyes shifted to Steve. "I don't feel so good." A long, slow blink darkened things and when they came into view once more, the concern in their faces had grown.

"Darcy," Natasha leaned over her. "Darcy, I need you to stay awake, okay? I'm not going to lie to you, it's going to be hard and it's going to hurt, but we have to get you to a doctor and you have to stay awake."

"Tired, Tash."

A strange look flickered over the spy's face at Darcy's use of Clint's nickname for her. "I know, little sister, I know." She brushed a lock of Darcy's hair back. "Try for me, okay?"

"'kay," Darcy mumbled. She tried to hold back the whimpers as they released the straps holding her down. She focused on Steve's shield, Tasha's hair, any point of color or brightness or movement she could see to try and stay awake.

She was losing the battle.

"I'm going to pick you up now, Darcy," Steve stated quietly.

Her breath stuttered. "Okay."

"Everything's going to be alright," he encouraged her.

He picked her up.

Agony flared across her body. She managed to strangle the scream as he began moving. She wanted to pass out. In some ways, she needed to pass out.

She forced herself to stay awake. Tasha had told her to, and she wouldn't have if it wasn't important.

Each jolt of movement, each sudden connection caused its own torture. Tears filled her eyes and slid down her cheeks. She stayed quiet. They couldn't fix her, and they couldn't stop.

She wanted the pain to stop.

She wanted to go home.

She wanted to see everyone.

She wanted that damn spice mocha.

Oh, God, she wanted the pain to stop.

Everything went hazy, soft. The edges of her vision grew dark. The world and all its voices slowly faded away. She gave in and welcomed the darkness.


	7. G is for Gate

**G is for Gate**

"She's coming out of it."

"You need to step away from her."

"You're going to upset her."

Voices assailed her ears. The comforting darkness began to break up and sensation came back to her. She could feel the rasp of the sheets and whatever she was wearing on her skin. Something stabbed at her arm. Her eyes blinked open.

A strange man in a white coat stood next to her.

She began to struggle away, flinching as he reached towards her.

"Darcy! Stop!"

She went still, her gaze darting over to see Jane rushing to her side. Thor came right behind her. He stepped up and put a firm hand on the stranger's shoulder. "Your presence is causing her distress. Step away." His eyes and voice were colder than Darcy had ever seen them.

"For that matter," came a new voice from the door, "step out." The guy started to protest, but Coulson just gave him an unimpressed stare. "You were told not to make the first contact; to allow her friends to do that. Furthermore, you were informed to leave the white jacket outside of the room." His eyes narrowed. "If you are unable to understand such simple directions, I do not want you near my people. Now go."

Darcy relaxed as the stranger left. She winced as Jane started to touch her.

Jane stopped.

"Still sensitive?" Coulson asked calmly as he stepped up to her other side.

She tried to clear her throat, and Jane slipped her some ice chips to help. After a moment, Darcy felt able to speak. "Even the sheets are scratchy." She frowned. "Something's stabbing my arm."

"It's the IV," Jane answered even as Darcy turned to look. "It's about empty, though. I'll get…" Her voice trailed off. Her eyes looked at the men helplessly.

"I shall request friend Banner's presence. He should be able to assist, yes?" Thor's voice rumbled, powerful, but unexpectedly comforting.

Darcy smiled, so Jane nodded. "Good idea."

"Miss Lewis?"

"Don't call me that!" Darcy snapped at Coulson. Her hands began to tremble.

He noticed, of course, and inclined his head. "Darcy." She nodded and he continued. "We need to debrief you."

"Can't it wait?" Jane blustered, glaring at him.

"The sooner we get the details, the sooner we can close the issue," Coulson replied calmly.

Darcy took a deep breath. "Not at SHIELD."

He lifted a brow, but nodded. "Stark Tower?"

"Better," she replied. Her voice hitched. "The team, Fury, Hill – no more." Jane shifted next to her and Darcy looked over. "You and Pepper are part of the team."

Jane smiled at her, but Coulson broke in. "Can you at least tell me why the extra precautions?"

"SHIELD's got an infestation problem."

Coulson blinked and tapped on his headset. "Coulson, authority Alpha Gamma Omega, lock down all files connected to Avengers Initiative – eyes only." He paused, nodded, and looked back to Darcy. He spoke once more into the headset. "Barton, report to the infirmary."

Darcy and Jane exchanged confused glances.

He caught it. "If there is a pest here at headquarters, none of you are to be left unprotected. I will remain until Barton gets here. He, Thor, and Banner will remain while I arrange to move Darcy back to the tower."

Clint strolled in. "You rang?"

"We've got a mole," Coulson informed him. "These two don't leave your sight until we get them back to the tower."

"You got it," Clint replied with a sloppy salute.

Coulson nodded and strode out.

"Goody," Darcy sighed. "Moving again."

"Still hurting, sweetheart?" Clint asked from his spot by the door. He glanced at her before scanning the hallway once more.

"Better not let Tasha hear you call me that," Darcy smiled as she tried to shift to a more comfortable position. Her breath hissed out as the movement caused the needle to move slightly. Both of them looked at her, but she shook her head. "Shouldn't have moved. Can't do anything about it."

"I see someone who can," Clint stated quietly.

Thor strode back into the room with Bruce right behind him. Clint snagged Thor's attention, but Bruce headed straight for Darcy.

She smiled at him. "Hey, Doc."

"Darcy." His shadowed eyes focused on her, doing a quick visual examination. "I know this is going to hurt, but I want to get the IV out, okay?"

"Yeah," she reluctantly agreed.

Bruce worked quickly, arranging everything possible before he had to actually touch her. His touch, light as he tried to keep it, set off tiny explosions under her skin. She closed her eyes, trying to focus away from the pain, trying to hold it in. Her body broke into a fine sweat as small tremors ran through her. Tears seeped out as he finally got the needle removed and a cloth bandage in place.

"I'm sorry," he told her as he finished.

"Not your fault, doc," she murmured, forcing back the tears. "Any idea how long this will last?"

He sighed. "We don't know. We found some samples of the drugs we think they gave you, but we're still looking into them."

"Sorry to interrupt here," Clint spoke from the doorway. "We're ready to move out."

Darcy heaved a sigh. "Just the way I want to look leaving headquarters."

"Nobody is going to see anything," Clint assured her. "Quick trip down a private elevator, into one of Stark's obscenely luxurious trucks, and off to the tower. The others will meet us there and the ladies can help you find something to wear."

"Okay," she agreed, and things began happening rapidly. Their departure went along Clint's promises, word for word. Tasha and Pepper were waiting for them when they arrived. Darcy's legs were still not working properly, so she used the wheelchair Pepper provided. She didn't like it, but at least it had controls so she could direct herself without putting too much pressure on her hands.

Natasha helped her with a sponge bath, but it had to be quick as her skin could barely stand the sponge, though the water felt wonderful. Tasha told Pepper who made arrangements for the pool to be available at all times, provided Darcy took someone with her in case something unforeseen happened. They couldn't find anything in her own wardrobe, but Natasha had a dressing gown of green modal that Darcy's skin could handle and it covered her from neck to wrist to ankle.

They escorted her back down to the large conference room on the common level. Fury, Hill, Coulson, and the rest of the team were waiting. Darcy wheeled straight up to the table and pinned a gaze on Fury. "There's a leak at headquarters."

"So Coulson informs me," he responded. "What can you tell me?"

"They took me because of my link to the team, and Doctor Harland knew too much." She repressed a shudder at the thought of the man and focused on her words. "He knew Bucky had joined the team, and that Hulk would listen to me."

Fury's eye narrowed in consideration. Hill leaned forward, her lips folded in anger. "Did he say what he wanted to know?"

"They didn't get that far," Darcy replied. "He confirmed the drugs were working, and he must have gone to report the fact to someone on a phone. I could hear him talking, but I couldn't move. When he came back he mentioned additional orders."

"Like what?" Fury asked.

"He said…" Her voice trailed off. A tremor shook her frame. People shifted, and a couple of them started to rise, but Natasha reached her first. The red-head did not do much; she just moved her chair over, but it was close enough for Darcy to feel their shoulders brush lightly. She took a deep breath and continued. "He said that I was to be turned over to security as soon as the interrogation and drug experiments were finished."

"And then?" Hill prompted.

"We heard a crash," Darcy answered. "He went to check on it, and I couldn't see him anymore, but I heard the door fly open, someone cried out, and then Steve was there."

"We can get the rest of that information from Captain Rogers later," Coulson stated. "The scientist did indicate they wanted you for your access to the Avengers?"

"Yes," she nodded. "Like I said, he mentioned Bucky and Hulk, two things he should not have known about. He also mentioned Tony, Clint, and Tasha…something about them listening to me or talking to me or something. It was kind of hard to follow. I'd just woken up from being hit on the head at that point." She frowned as a realization hit her. "Oh, and he mentioned Phil."

"What about Coulson?" Fury asked.

"He talked about how Phil never needed an assistant, but hired me and made me…how'd he put it?" She concentrated. "Right, how Phil had made me the 'key contact for the team'."

"That's it then," Coulson sat back, eyes narrowing in consideration.

"What's it?" Tony demanded as the rest of the team leaned forward.

"Whoever this group is, whatever they want with the team, they went after Darcy because they think she's the gatekeeper," Coulson answered calmly. "They think she's their ticket to acquiring, stopping, or destroying you."

"Well, that's just lovely," Darcy muttered. "Babysitter to Bait- what a lovely career change."


	8. H is for Hooker

**H is for Hooker**

"You're not bait," Steve assured her. Fury shifted and glanced at him, but stayed quiet when he met several sets of rebellious eyes.

Darcy's lips twitched as she took in the various expressions around the table. The men and Jane glared at Fury while Pepper and Natasha both wore cool, challenging looks. Her gaze met Coulson's, and his eyebrow twitched. She had to look down and repress a giggle. Apparently he found it as funny as she did.

Fury's reaction to the next comment nearly did make her laugh.

"Of course she's not bait," Hill bit out. When Fury's eye widened and he stared at her in shock, Hill just shrugged. "That would mean I'd have to go back to helping handle this team."

Fury just looked resigned, but leaned back. "It would have been-"

"She's not a two-bit hooker you can pimp out!" Jane exclaimed. She clamped a hand over her mouth in shock at her own words.

Darcy lost the battle at that point, the laughter simply rolling out of her. It was infectious, soon spreading to the rest of the team. Hill's lips twitched, while Coulson clearly repressed a smile. Fury sighed, crossing his arms over his chest. "Whenever you lot are finished?"

It took them several minutes, but they finally returned to some form of control. Steve gave her a smile before facing Fury. "She's not playing bait for you. We'll find some other way to figure out who's behind this."

"We've got several leads from the base already," Coulson nodded. "At the moment, the analysts are leaning towards Hydra."

"Yes, of course," Bucky muttered. "Isn't it always?" He exchanged a weary glance with Steve before turning back to the table. "Anything from the wacky doc yet?"

"Doctor Harland," Hill started, and then paused as Darcy tensed. After a moment she began again. "He is currently not saying anything. He simply sits there until it is time to return to his cell."

"He won't," Darcy noted, her eyes roving the team, taking comfort in their presence. "He's cold, calculating. He's figured out there are lines you won't cross and he'll make you push those."

Coulson's eyes narrowed. "Are you certain?"

"Oh, yeah," she replied, looked at him. "Even if you cross the line, he'll consider it a win."

"It's an experiment for him now," Natasha stated, not really asking.

Darcy nodded anyway. Silence fell over the table.

"Let me and Widow have a go," Bucky remarked suddenly. Everyone looked at him and he shrugged. "We have an entirely different set of lines. He won't expect us."

Darcy started to shake her head. "Bucky-"

"Look, Doll," he interrupted. "We probably won't have to go anywhere near those lines. A lot of interrogation is in the perception. You said he knew who I was?" He waited for her nod before continuing. "If he knows me, he knows Widow. He'll have some idea of our background, and his perception of what he's facing is going to have to change entirely."

"He'll be on edge," Natasha agreed. "He won't know whether we will stay within SHIELD's parameters, or our own."

Darcy glanced around the room. Steve, Bruce, Jane, and Pepper looked uneasy, while Tony just shrugged. Clint, Thor, and the SHIELD bosses were all nodding. She bit her lip, but stated with cool authority. "I don't like this."

"Noted," Fury acknowledged. He spared her an amused glance. "However, Agents Romanoff and Barnes are still under SHIELD's aegis, so your objection is overruled. We'll give it a try tomorrow." He nodded to the two new interrogators. "Pick your time tomorrow and we'll have him ready for you."

With that, Fury led Hill and Coulson out of the tower. The team stayed put.

"Darcy-" Steve started.

"I know," she interrupted. "I know – extra security, don't go anywhere alone, and stay in touch with JARVIS at all times." She slumped back in the chair, but shifted as the ache set in. "All I wanted was a damn mocha."

"We can do those here," Tony frowned at her.

"It's a spice mocha," she answered, pointing at him in emphasis. "Limited flavor run and won't be back until next year." He opened his mouth, but she cut him off. "Next year, Tony."

He rolled his eyes. "JARVIS, track down the flavoring. Get a supply." She blinked in surprise. He pointed to himself. "Billionaire, Miss Stacked, billionaire."

"Pain in the ass, Mr. Ego," she shot back.

"That too," he shrugged.

"Oh, lovely," Pepper commented. "We're practically back to normal."


	9. I is for Imbecile

**I is for Imbeciles**

Darcy began to get antsy. Between them, the Avengers and assorted crew kept her close to the mansion and escorted if she had to leave. It wasn't that she didn't appreciate their concern. She certainly didn't want to get abducted again, but she missed her daily walks in the park. She hated feeling like a burden or a child they had to watch over.

And that's what she felt like, regardless of what they said.

Now, alone in the house, she still couldn't just go out. She promised Steve she wouldn't, and breaking a promise to Steve was…wrong. Even thinking about it made her feel like she was kicking a puppy. It didn't matter how good a soldier he was, his open hearted earnestness and sincerity pressed every button.

Plus the whole Captain America face he would pull…she was pretty sure lying to him counted as being unpatriotic or something.

So, here she was, twiddling her thumbs. Jane left three days ago to participate in some kind of astrophysics conference while Pepper held court in Tokyo at a meeting with SI's Asia division. The Avengers left yesterday to deal with an apparent Hydra attack in Tel Aviv. Even SHIELD's top officers were in DC to give a report to the Counsel.

So here she sat.

The drugs had finally worn off last night, and she could move with relative ease. Bright, beautiful sunshine poured through the windows.

And here she sat.

"Excuse me, Miss Lewis?" JARVIS broke into her private pity party.

She looked up, feeling pathetically excited about any interruption. "What's up, J?"

"There is a woman at the front gate seeking admittance," the AI replied smoothly. "She appears to be in some distress."

"Show me?" she asked.

JARVIS obliged by routing the security feed to the large screen. At first all she saw was the dark hair. The woman was looking away from the camera even as her finger continued to press on the doorbell. As she turned back, Darcy caught a glimpse of pale skin, delicate features, and fear. A picture from Bruce's file came to mind.

"That's Betty Ross!" she exclaimed, coming to her feet. "JARVIS, let her in and then close up. Ratchet up security; she looks terrified."

Darcy hurried towards the front door. She opened it as Betty rushed up the steps. Shouts from the gate drew both women's attention. Darcy's eyes narrowed as she spotted General Ross among the men trapped outside.

She touched Betty's arm and gave her a supportive smile. "Come inside." Betty glanced at the gate, but Darcy tugged on her arm. "Don't worry; they can't get in."

"Thank you," Betty replied softly. She followed Darcy into the house and wiped her cheeks dry. Her wide eyes still brimmed with unshed tears, but she seemed to have them mostly under control. She looked around as Darcy led her into the den. Betty sat down in a chair, sinking as though her legs were too exhausted to go another step. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to burst in on you this way, but…" She trailed off.

"Hey," Darcy sat down next to her. "Any friend of Bruce is welcome here." Betty looked around, and Darcy sighed. "I'd love to get him for you, but he's out with the team." She frowned. "Even if he were here, I probably would wait until you caught your breath. This would be a bad time for Hulk to get involved."

Betty gave a watery laugh. "Is it bad that I don't think I'd care?"

"Depends," Darcy replied, considering the pale woman beside her. "What was all that about?"

"My father's been getting more and more paranoid since the Avengers first appeared. Every time they showed up on television, he would tighten security. He monitored everything. Anytime I tried to place a call it would never connect." She choked back tears. "I quit. I told him three days ago that I'd had it and was leaving. I planned to get away from the base and call Bruce."

"That obviously didn't happen." Darcy's eyes narrowed. "What did he do?"

"He put me under house arrest."

"What?" Darcy stared at her, flabbergasted.

"I couldn't leave the house," Betty explained. "Every time I tried, I'd be met by three guards. My phone lines were cut; the internet was cut. I had no contact with anyone but him and the guards."

"How'd you get out?"

Betty blew out a sharp breath. "His second-in-command. He removed the guards long enough for me to leave, but my father caught wind of it. They've been following me all the way." She fell back against the cushions. "You have no idea how it felt when the gate opened."

"Oh, I might," Darcy muttered, considering her recent troubles. She met Betty's eyes. "Let's get you set up in a room, okay? JARVIS will make sure those imbeciles don't get in, and we can find you something to wear until you have a chance to get some stuff."

"Really?" Betty asked.

"Only if you want," Darcy assured her.

"Oh, I want," Betty nodded. "I definitely want."

"Great," Darcy smiled. The women stood up and Darcy put her hand on Betty's arm. "You're safe here. Believe me, the team gets seriously overprotective, and-" She stopped for a moment, eyed Betty, and then continued. "And they really don't like Ross anyway."

Betty sighed. "He's my father, but I don't like him anymore. Something in him is broken, twisted." She bit her lip. "He's going to hurt someone one day."

"Well," Darcy replied, wrapping an arm around the other woman's waist and leading her towards the stairs. "I can say this much. It won't be you or Bruce if we have anything to say about it." She tightened her arm in a quick hug. "Like I said, you're safe here."

Betty gave her a tremulous smile. "Thank you."

"Any time."


	10. J is for Jeopardize

**J is for Jeopardize**

Darcy rubbed her eyes as she stumbled down the hallway. Nightmares, she hated nightmares. Her hands shook as she tried to press the button for the right floor. Finally she just gave up, slumping backwards until her back hit the elevator wall. She slid down, wrapped her arms around her shins, and buried her face in her knees. The tears that had pooled in her eyes slid silently down her cheeks.

She was so tired.

Betty's unexpected arrival lifted some of the boredom, but it couldn't help with the night terrors. Darcy just didn't know her well enough. It kept her busy all afternoon, for which she was grateful, but listening to Betty's story about her imbecile of a father had brought Darcy's own short incarceration into sharp focus.

Darcy's frame shook.

She couldn't figure out why the nightmares were still so strong. It wasn't like she'd been tortured or locked up for days. She'd only been there a couple of hours. She'd barely even been touched. Shouldn't she be over this by now?

The elevator stopped.

She heard the doors open.

A soft sigh reached her ears right before someone stepped into the car. She didn't look up; it felt childish, but the feeling ran through her that maybe if she didn't acknowledge them, they couldn't really see her. That notion flew out the window as the person settled next to her on the floor, not touching her, simply sitting with her, waiting. It was one of the guys, she could tell that much. The figure took up way too much space to be any of the women. The team was back then. They must have come in after she went to bed or JARVIS would have told her.

They sat there in the stillness. He didn't speak and she didn't move.

Darcy had no idea how long a time passed before he moved, as noiselessly as he had waited, to shift her into his lap. She curled into him. She didn't care which one he was; he was here, he was warm, and he wasn't asking her to talk. Her shaking grew stronger. His arms tightened. She allowed the tears to fall once more. He ran a hand down her hair.

Still neither of them spoke.

As Darcy began to calm, her mind finally began noticing details. Like the guy's size for one thing; he wasn't big enough to be Steve, let alone Thor. She could hear the strong and steady heartbeat under her ear, and there was no arc reactor. Well, she hadn't really thought it might be Tony anyway – it was almost psychologically impossible for him to be quiet this long. She was pretty sure it wasn't Bruce either. He would totally try and take care of her, but he still got too weird about close contact for any length of time. That narrowed it down to one of their snipers.

She didn't look up.

Whether it was Bucky or Clint, she didn't want to jeopardize the fragile sense of peace she'd found. The sheer safety she felt with his arms tight around her in this small space loosened something in her chest. It was like she could finally take a deep breath after so many days of nothing but shallow gasps of air. To look up, to speak might ruin it.

God, she had missed being held.

She felt him take a deep breath as his grip loosened and she tensed. He let the breath out in a long sigh that stirred her hair. His arms tightened once more and he rested his chin on the top of her head. He remained silent. She melted back against his chest, the tension flowing out of her. She could feel her heart rate slowing and her eyes grew heavy. She was warm; she was safe…maybe now she could sleep? Her mind began drifting even as the thought crossed her mind.

A soft, rough laugh was the last thing she heard as slumber overtook her.


	11. K is for Key

**K is for Key**

It was all in the timing.

Darcy reviewed her life fairly often – when she was angry, terrified, surprised, or ecstatic, she would think about where she was in life. Given the people she hung out with? She was guaranteed to be one of those four emotions at least once a week – once a day during a bad one. So her life was reviewed on regular basis. She thought about it long and hard and finally came to a conclusion. Her life had gone from mundane, average, and aimless with bouts of randomness to exciting, extraordinary, and purposeful with bouts of sheer insanity thanks to her timing.

Right now? Watching Widow as played keep-away with this week's monster-of-the-month while Hawkeye dealt with its angry big brother, the Winter Soldier ran interference with its bratty little sister, and the others prepped for the irritated parents sensors placed just off the coast? She could almost curse her timing.

She needed six lousy science credits to graduate and only one scientist was offering an easy and late internship that qualified…Darcy was the only applicant because all of the other students already started their internships two weeks prior. She got Jane – who was fabulous and adorably geeky about stars while being the most absent-minded person Darcy had ever met when it came to regular sleeping and eating. Okay, no big deal – Darcy could work with that and had plenty of time for her online antics.

However Jane was parked in the middle of nowhere New Mexico studying the stars, thus putting Darcy in the right place at the right time – there's that timing thing again – to meet an alien/god person when Thor dropped in unexpectedly. Darcy got to tase him, which was always fun, and Thor loved her for it – because he's just strange like that. This also lead to Darcy meeting Thor's friends while landing on his brother's radar as a potential, if outside, target, as well as introducing her to Phil Coulson of SHIELD.

There was another bit of timing! Coulson, the stoic, super nanny ninja that he is, was impressed by her scientist-wrangling skills and decided to recruit her after the whole battle of New York fiasco. Darcy doesn't mind working with Coulson or the Avengers, but she's heard about Fury's manipulating and wasn't impressed. She also had no desire to become somebody's jack-booted thug. Coulson offered her a compromise, and suddenly she found herself working for Stark Industries, under the terrifyingly organized Pepper Potts, while coordinating with SHIELD through Coulson.

Those two should never have kids – they'd rule the world before they turned five.

Her new job brought her into direct contact with six of the world's premier superheroes – two of whom were also brilliant scientists. She started wrangling within moments of walking through the front door. One day she walked through the mansion trying to talk Jane into staying home since the woman had a temperature of one-hundred and one, when the team came home from their latest battle with Hydra. Every single one of them bore scrapes and bruises while their eyes were layered with shadows.

Oh she hated her timing that day.

Darcy ended up adding hero-herding to her resume as well as reserving the right to chew out the whole of SHIELD's medical and research/development departments. She helped bandage wounds, serve chocolate or alcohol (whichever was most needed), and spent the next few days sitting with various team members as they shook off the ghosts of the civilians they had been unable to save. She earned the right to call them all by name and learned some important points.

Steve dealt with his pain and depression in one of two ways – beating up punching bags or sketching. Darcy modeled whenever she could to keep him from tearing up his hands. Yes he could heal, but it didn't stop the pain.

Tony wanted to lock himself in the lab and try to build faster, stronger, better armor. Darcy worked with JARVIS to make sure the labs locked down into silence mode for six hours every day to force him out.

Bruce would have run if they would have let him, but since they didn't, he hid from everyone instead. Darcy barged in on him whenever she could, bringing food or tea, making sure not to leave him alone.

Thor was the easiest because he would surround himself with Jane. Darcy simply handed her wrangler responsibilities over to him while he needed the extra Jane-time.

Natasha wanted to sit in silence but she hated being isolated from everyone. Darcy thought of reading a book, but found Tasha relaxed more when Darcy herself took a nap. She figured it had something to do with letting Tasha know she trusted her to take care of things.

Clint became extremely overprotective – he double checked Pepper's security, swung by the labs to check on Jane, and followed Darcy through her day – as well as touch-happy. Darcy simply touched him; she would hug him, lean against his shoulder, or just touch his arm when she talked.

She stepped in for every one of them, whether they needed humor, sympathy, or silence. They returned the favor three-fold. Darcy never had to search for support; whether she needed someone to sit with, joke with, or talk to, she always had someone willing and able. The group had found a balance, a comforting togetherness, in each other. The recent additions of Bucky and Betty threw things off a bit, but they could ride that out as well.

Today she was half convinced her timing sucked. Iron Man was covered in scorch marks, Captain America was limping, and Hulk of all people looked tired. Her three assassins were so tired their faces were blank instead of casual. She didn't want to know what had happened, but she had to find out. She had to know in order to help deal with the trauma. She sighed. The very idea of leaving her family to deal with things on their own frightened her. Even more frightening was the thought of leaving them to SHIELD's tender mercies. It kept her cursing to a minimum.

Darcy greeted the team with a little smile on their return. The smile grew as she realized all of the wounds were superficial. She told Bruce about Betty's newest experiment while implying it would knock Tony's stuff out of the running. She asked Thor to convince Jane to eat something since the scientist wasn't listening to her, and informed Steve she wanted him to do a sketch of the whole team for her to hang in the lab. The four men hurried off, the battle being happily pushed aside for other concerns.

She ushered her trio of spies into the quietest study and watched as Clint flopped down on one end of the couch and Bucky took the other. Both men propped their feet on the table and let their heads fall back with a groan. Darcy traded an amused shrug with Tasha before climbing over Clint's legs to sit between them. They glared at her as she turned sideways and lay down, head in Clint's lap, feet in Bucky's.

"Shut it, both of you," she ordered. "I've been stressed out with all the watching and worrying. I'm taking a nap and Tasha's in charge." Bucky smirked, but let his hands rest on her shins as his head leaned back once more. Clint rolled his eyes, but ran his fingers through her hair and she felt her gaze becoming heavy. She exchanged nods with Tasha and then let her mind go drowsy. One last thought entered her mind before she dropped into darkness.

Oh, yes, timing was the key.


	12. L is for Luxuriantly

**L is for Luxuriantly**

Darcy kept her eyes closed as the sound of arguing entered the room. So much for her quiet hour.

"What were you doing spying on her anyway?" Jane demanded.

"I wasn't spying!" Tony protested. "I had JARVIS do a security sweep and spotted her in here on the ground. Excuse me for thinking something might be wrong!"

"Didn't you try calling her first?"

"On. The. Ground."

Jane sighed. "Darcy!" she called out.

"Over here, Jane," Darcy sighed. Her eyes opened as the footfalls drew near. She looked up to see the upside down faces of the two geniuses as they stared down at her. "Something wrong?"

"Why are you sleeping on an air mattress in the conservatory?" Tony asked as he glanced around at all the plants. "If there's something wrong with your bed? Because I can fix that." He frowned. "Or have someone fix that." He tilted his head. "For that matter, even if something were wrong, I've got large cushiony couches everywhere. Why aren't you on one of them?"

Her eyes closed as she started chuckling. "There's nothing wrong with my bed, Tony," she assured him. "It's fine."

"Okay," he drew out. "So, why?"

"Do you see all these plants?" she asked.

"Yes," Tony replied. "It's a conservatory; it's supposed to have plants. I think it should be converted, but Pepper threatened to sell my cars and put me on an allowance." He paused. "Now that I think about it – did I give her the authority to do that? JARVIS!"

"Yes, sir?"

"Did I give Pepper the authority to put me on an allowance?" Tony demanded.

"I believe you did, sir," the AI's cool monotone managed to convey a suppressed amusement.

"Why would I do that?" Tony muttered.

"You did so after accidentally buying the castle in Spain just to impress a young fan, sir," JARVIS replied.

"Hey, Tony?" Darcy spoke up before Tony could say anything, diverting his attention. "Why does JARVIS sound so much like an English version of Coulson?"

"He does not!" Tony shot back.

"Does too," she said. "He's got that whole cool tone that can tell you you're an idiot without having to say anything."

Tony spluttered. "That doesn't mean he sounds like Coulson!"

"You know," Darcy mused as Jane giggled. "I think you've got a fixation."

"I do not!"

Jane sat down beside her and leaned against the small tree. "What kind of fixation?"

"I don't have a fixation!" Tony insisted.

"Tony," Darcy pointed out patiently. "You've got a fixation on people who embody organization, remain cool in stressful situations, who everybody tends to overlook to their later regret, and who can put you in your place."

Tony frowned, "That's not exactly-"

"Evidence A," she interrupted him. "Virginia 'Pepper' Potts – possibly the most terrifyingly organized woman on the face of the earth who can handle you while juggling Stark Industries and who can embarrass and/or terrify politicians, journalists, and military brass without getting a single hair out of place."

"That doesn't mean-"

"Evidence B," she continued. "JARVIS – who does for you in cyberspace what Pepper does in real life. He also manages to seem highly amused when DUM-E decides to get overly happy with the fire extinguisher."

"Yes, well," Tony shook his head. "Still-"

"Evidence C," she finished up. "Phil Coulson – who runs interference with SHIELD on your behalf, kept you in the loop despite the best efforts of the council to insist on War Machine taking your place, and still gets away with threatening you with a Taser and Supernanny." She shrugged as best she could from the ground. "It's a fixation."

He rolled his eyes before plopping down next to a hopelessly giggling Jane. "You're a pain in the ass, Lewis."

"You've mentioned that before," she replied before closing her eyes once more.

"No, seriously," Tony asked. "Why are you in here?"

Darcy sighed and Jane touched her shoulder. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Jane," she looked up to smile at her friend. "It's just…this place is usually empty. There are all these beautiful, luxuriantly growing plants and this deep, deep silence. I can come in here, close my eyes, smell the greenery, and relax." She paused. "I'd go outside, but you can hear the traffic and the people outside the walls. You never know when a helicopter is going to come zipping by with nosy reporters or tourists." She sat up, stretching as she did so. "It's a great way to de-stress in fifteen minutes."

The two scientists looked at each other before turning back to blink at her. She stared at them for a moment and then rolled her eyes. "Think of it as my version of climbing on the roof to watch the stars," she said to Jane before turning to Tony, "or whirling computer screens around me as Black Sabbath pounds out of the speakers."

Looks of understanding slid over their faces as she stood up. She began letting the air out of her mattress as they watched in silence.

"You know," Tony spoke up. "I can probably set you up something better."

"No," she told him flatly.

"Really, it wouldn't be a problem," he insisted.

"No, Tony," she replied.

"It wouldn't take too long either," he muttered as he strode towards the door.

"Tony!" she warned. He just waved over his should as he walked away. She turned to Jane. "He's so going to do something, isn't he?"

Jane opened her mouth, but closed it as she gave a tiny shrug and a grimace.

Darcy slumped. "But I like it this way! Every time he gets it into his head to change things he blows something up!"

"He always fixes it up better than before?" Jane offered.

"After months of distractions, world savings, and changing ideas," she almost whined.

"Oh, hey!" Tony stuck his head back into the room. He gave Darcy a quizzical look. "What do you have to be stressed about anyway?"

Darcy closed her eyes and counted to ten. "Tony!"


	13. M is for Margins

**M is for Margins**

"But who _is_ she?"

"One of Stark's women, maybe."

"He's engaged to the Potts woman though, so she wouldn't be this blatant, would she?"

"I've seen her picture in the tabloids."

"She's that woman who shows up as Potts' assistant or stand-in."

"Isn't she the one who was rescued from Dr. Doom by the Avengers when the Fantastic Four were out of the country?"

Darcy ignored the commentary as she strode through the huge atrium of the Tower. Tourists, salespeople, and jobseekers stood in line waiting to talk to one of the receptionists about their particular concern. All of them stared at her easy passage through the security guards with open curiosity, wild speculation, and restrained annoyance. Normally she bypassed all of the rigmarole by coming in through the private garage, but two accidents led to her having the car drop her off at the front door. The murmuring rose even higher as she boarded the private elevator reserved for Tony's personal usage.

"See! I told you she was one of Stark's women."

She rolled her eyes. "JARVIS," she sighed.

"Immediately, Miss Lewis," came the calm reply, and the elevator started moving immediately.

During the ride, Darcy leaned against the side of the elevator and closed her eyes. It wasn't so much that she minded all of the gossip and innuendo, though she could do without it – she just hated how so many people seemed to make it their business to poke and pry into her life. She wasn't a hero or a genius or an agent. She lived in the margins _around_ the agents and geniuses and heroes, and she was _happy_ there. Being part of that space allowed her to help shield and buffer the main protagonists of the story from the stupid stuff life and the public liked to throw around.

There was just one problem.

People in general seem to hate blank spaces. Heaven forbid there should be this open white space hanging out there. They would grasp at any straw, no matter how wild or speculative, to fill it in. She'd been called everything from a home wrecker out to break up the epic romance of the billionaire and his assistant to an Iron Man groupie to Tony's secret illegitimate daughter by the tabloids. Baby agents at SHIELD, who should know better than to gossip over their coffee, figured she was sleeping with one and/or all of the Avengers, and even possibly either Coulson or Fury. (That one had actually caused her to burst out laughing and made the baby agent stutter in embarrassment when they realized she'd overheard the comment. Fury hadn't been quite so amused, and last she heard, that agent was working down in McMurdo.)

The villains tended to focus on her as a potential target, but she actually understood that one. As one of the few actual average civilians working with the assorted heroes, agents, and geniuses, she was a prime hostage. It generally led to unhappy Avengers and a really, really bad day for said villain who managed to snatch her, but she did get it. For some reason, villains always managed to figure out she was important to somebody. They might not get the whole picture, but they'd see her talking to Tasha, working with Steve, joking with Tony, and so on. Really, SHIELD needed to pin down those avenues of information – maybe then she'd get abducted less often.

The team and the agency needed the secrecy and hush-hush business to keep them safe, no question, but it became a pain and a half for people like her who walked the line between the secret world and the rest of the world. People were stuck with all these blanks and they tried to fill them in. There were entire blogs dedicated to the sex lives of the Avengers and their surrounding 'people', and honestly if the team were having that much sex? The world would have ended months ago because the team would be dead from exhaustion.

Not that sex hadn't crossed her mind. She wasn't a prude…she was just picky. Starting a relationship with an Avenger or an agent was a tricky thing. Agents were actually less likely to get killed (unless you picked one of the elite), but they also tended to be in the field for months or even years at a time. Avengers usually risked death and injury a lot more often, but they were usually home five nights out of seven. It might be worth the risk though.

Well, it would be, if they ever looked at her as a potential romantic interest.

The problem? None of them did…at least not that she saw. None of the ones she was interested in anyway.

All of them had their own appeal, but three in particular held her attention – a prank-loving sniper with a dark side, a no-nonsense ninja of an agent, and a displaced soldier looking for redemption - any one of which could probably send her tripping right into a full-blown crush with just a crumb or two of encouragement. She rolled her eyes. Why couldn't she just fall for the dude down in requisitions? No, she has to be drawn to Avengers and elite agents who never gave one sign or signal that her attraction might be welcome.

See, that was the thing about margins…the outside world tried to fill them in while the inside world was happy to remain at status quo.


	14. N is for Negotiated

**N is for Negotiated**

Darcy learned on the balcony railing, staring into the night, and considered her team, particularly her trio of spies. _Complicated_ – it was the best word she could think of to them. Each of them possessed their own individual triggers while their relationships created a Celtic knot of messy layers. Separately they could drive a handler to drink…and probably had. Together they created a potential minefield of mayhem. It was a minefield deliberately created to drive people away. Darcy and Coulson were the two people the spies trusted most because the two of them negotiated that minefield without fear.

When she first arrived at the mansion, Natasha scared the hell out of her. The woman's uncanny ability to pop up out of nowhere coupled with her blank expression and cold eyes almost stopped any attempt from Darcy to make friends. Only one thing kept her from giving up; Coulson asked her to try. For the stoic agent, it was practically a plea. Something about his expression convinced her to agree. As the days turned into weeks and then months, she began to wonder if she was making any headway with the distant red-head. Then one day Darcy went to SHIELD to deliver some reports and an over-amorous agent would not back off despite her warnings. Just as she was deciding it would be worth the extra paperwork to tase him, Natasha appeared at her side. The agent took one look at the master spy's cold green eyes and beat a hasty retreat.

"Thanks," Darcy said quietly.

Natasha lifted one shoulder in a shrug. "I will walk with you."

From that day on, Darcy could count on a red-headed shadow anytime she set foot anywhere near SHIELD. It might have bothered her except Natasha made it clear she was there to protect Darcy, not keep an eye on her. Darcy belonged to the Avengers, not SHIELD, and Natasha intended to let everyone know she was off-limits. It was apparently her cue that Natasha had accepted her as a friend.

Clint had been an entirely different story. If it hadn't been for proof to the contrary, Darcy would have thought him a figment of everyone's imagination. He never joined them when Darcy and Jane were present, apparently preferring to stay out of sight instead of meeting the new girls. Six weeks or so after she moved into the mansion, she walked into the kitchen for some ice cream. It was empty for once, so she started singing softly under her breath as she dug through the freezer for the Rocky Road she knew was in there. Finding it, she turned only to gasp with surprise at the figure standing just a couple of feet away. She dropped the carton, but he caught it midair and placed it on the countertop.

"You have a good voice," he told her, eyes carefully examining her face.

"Um, thank you?" she replied, still caught in her surprise.

A crooked smile flickered over his lips for a moment. "Your ice cream is going to melt," he said before moving around her to grab a beer and then disappeared out of the room.

That first meeting seemed to set the tone for their early relationship. He appeared and disappeared just as easily as Natasha, but where she remained stoic and distant until abruptly turning bodyguard, Clint would talk briefly, even tease, and then vanish. Clint's acceptance of her became apparent the day she got caught up in one of Doom's attempts to destroy the city. The elusive Hawkeye came down from his high perch in order to pull her, specifically, out of trouble and up with him.

She had to smile remembering that day. When they came down from the roof of the building, Natasha smiled at them while Coulson's face seemed trapped between his stoic disapproval face and his equally stoic approval face. He told her later that while he favored Clint forming a new friendship, he'd prefer the agent not being quite so obvious about it.

Darcy found herself with two shadows quite often. She wasn't quite sure why the two of them trailed her the way they did, but she accepted it. The only reason she even knew they were present was because of their tendency to appear whenever she hit any kind of snag. Whether it involved troublesome people or situations, one or both of them showed up and helped her past the problem before disappearing again. Winning over the two most secretive Avengers was the final checkmark leading to Coulson recruiting her as a handler for the heroes.

Finally she came to the most recent of her trio.

Bucky…he was a different kettle of fish altogether. Natasha and Clint had each other and Coulson before Darcy ever entered the picture, so they simply expanded their network to include her. Bucky didn't have that. He had shattered memories and troubled dreams. Part of him, 'Bucky', remembered Steve while another part, 'Soldier', remembered Natasha, and neither part wanted to mesh well with the other. Neither side trusted SHIELD which made it difficult for Coulson, but both sides seemed to listen to Darcy, so she became his chief handler despite her lack of formal training or position.

Somehow it worked. As Bucky became more integrated with the team and Steve began to realize he wouldn't leave anytime soon, Bucky could be found in Natasha and Clint's company more and more often. It probably would have panicked almost anyone else, but Darcy just breathed a sigh of relief.

Those two would notice anything off while reinforcing the claims of the team on his future.

The biggest issue they faced with Bucky was the memory flashbacks. One particular night saw him holding her hostage as he tried to remember his mission objectives. As JARVIS summoned the rest of the team, Darcy simply faced him, trying to ignore the gun he held so casually.

"Bucky." She did nothing more than speak his name, quietly, but directly. He flinched, but remained silent, watching her. Again she said his name. "Bucky." The flinch was more obvious and his gaze flickered from a cool detachment to a mercurial confusion. "Bucky."

The gun lowered, and then dropped to the ground. "Darcy?" He hesitated over her name.

She smiled. "Welcome back."

That night almost sent him running off or turning himself over to SHIELD to protect everyone, but one thing he finally came to learn about the Avengers. They never gave up on one of their own. Everyone worked with him in their own way, working to still his fears and to lessen the dangers of flashbacks. Darcy's immediate forgiveness shook him almost as much as the incident itself, but it was also what sealed her firmly under his protection.

A soft step brought her out of the memories.

Coulson stepped up beside her. "You are missing the party, Miss Lewis."

"I'll be in soon," she assured him. 

A slight shadow crossed his face. "They are not due to return until tomorrow."

"I know," she sighed. "It's just-"

"Like we'd miss this party," Clint's teasing voice interrupted her as he jumped down from one of the trees.

Bucky flipped over the side of the balcony railing. "The guest of honor should not be missing her own birthday party."

"It does rather defeat the purpose," agreed Natasha as she glided out of the shadows.

Darcy's smile grew brilliant. "I guess I've had enough air," she waved a hand airily.

"Good," Clint grinned as he gestured her forward. "I want some cake."

"You had two helpings of crème brulee on the plane," Natasha scolded.

Bucky just shook his head as Coulson gave an almost imperceptible sigh. "Miss Lewis?" he nodded towards the door.

Surrounded by her spies, Darcy headed back towards the noise of a party with a light step and peaceful heart.


	15. O is for Options

**O is for Options**

It's not like her options were limited, Darcy mused. She received two or three invites or offers every other week. Her entire weekend could be booked if she felt even the slightest bit of interest in any of them. So why was she standing in this line to go tour an art show…alone?

"Because I'm an idiot, that's why," she muttered.

Annoyed, Darcy forced her mind away from the whole idea of dating or romance or anything of the sort. She paid for her ticket and began to make her way through the museum. People always wrinkled their nose at her educational choices, especially when they discovered her love of art and art history. She could argue for hours on Picasso or Matisse, but would resolutely defend the work of the Italian Renaissance all night. They could not understand how someone with such passion for the subject would decide not to make it a career. That was the whole point…to her anyway.

Given the option, she would pick an art museum over an amusement park every time. While her favorites might be back in history, she would go see well-reviewed new artists as well. She loved seeing works by lesser artists just as much as seeing world famous masterpieces. Art gave her a feeling of history she could not get from a textbook. All the fancies and realities of mankind spread before her in marble, stone, oil, and pen. To pursue a career in art sounded well and good, but then it became a _job_, not a love. She did not want to lose the love of art by turning it into a daily job.

It did, however, run off some of the 'Mr. Right Now' guys though…art took too much effort for them.

A painting caught her eye. She moved forward to examine it, but before she could get halfway across the room, someone began screaming. A gun went off. Ducking down and behind a column, Darcy tried to see what was happening even as she reached for the panic button cleverly hidden in her watch. Masked thugs of some sort were pushing people through the door. There were three of them. She began to look around and weigh her options. Staying put would leave her trapped with the bad guys, but she would merely be one of the crowd. Trying to run for it…she might make the opposite door, but it would center their attention on her.

She decided to wait. The thugs kept everyone contained, ignoring the crying and whispering unless it became too loud. They only spoke when necessary to quiet the crowd. Considering the crying and noises coming from beyond the room, there must have been more men outside. Each of the three men inside the room made a circuit, examining each person carefully before shaking their heads. Whoever they wanted was not here. The wait seemed to last for hours.

Suddenly she heard thunder. A smile began to curve her lips. The sound of an irritated roar caused her to duck her head in order to hide her face as the smile shifted towards a grin. Oh, she recognized that combo. Now these goons were in serious trouble. Let the heroics begin.

The sound of renewed gunfire caused Darcy to scrunch down, staying as close to the column and the ground as she could She watched as one of the men lifted his hand to his ear and realized that he had some kind of communication device. He listened for a moment before biting out a curse. "Damn it," he hissed. Turning to his men, he made a couple of signs before speaking. "Abort…the target has been evacuated and the Avengers are here." She watched as they ran for the back door.

None of them made it.

An arrow took out the first guy just moments before a slim figure in black swung into the room, using the trim around the door as a handhold. While still in the air, she lashed out with both of her feet to hit a second man directly in the chest. She used the momentum of her swing to vault over him and rolled, coming to her feet in order to face the final thug. He growled and began to bring his gun up. Suddenly he froze, his eyes widening and his arm dropping. Darcy frowned in confusion until she heard a familiar voice.

"Good idea," came the angry growl. "Now, drop the weapon and get on the ground."

Darcy shifted so she could lean on the column as she watched Black Widow and Winter Soldier secure the thugs…including the one downed by the arrow. Her eyebrows rose at that. If he was still breathing then Hawkeye must have received orders to incapacitate, not kill.

"We preferred them alive."

The unexpected voice caused her to start. Her head came up and around as Coulson crouched down beside her. She frowned at him. "I am buying you a bell for Christmas."

His eyebrow twitched in that stoic Coulson-is-amused-but-on-the-job way. "That would defeat the purpose, Miss Lewis."

"Coulson," she sighed, "the bad guys are contained and the kids seem to be having a good time. Giving me a heart attack doesn't seem necessary."

"Are you all right?" he asked, eyes scanning her for injuries.

She nodded. "I'm fine, not so much as a scratch. I don't know who they were after, but it wasn't me."

"This time," he stated blandly.

"No," she commanded, pointing a finger at him. "You are not putting me back on house arrest or extra security protocols. These guys had nothing to do with me and it was just a case of bad timing."

He gave one slow blink before rising to his feet and reaching out a hand to help her up. "It would merely be a precaution-"

"I said no," Darcy interrupted seriously. She huffed as she straightened her shirt. "I didn't even make it back to the Renaissance area."

A slight frown seemed to hover over his expression, but it smoothed out as he turned to the approaching team members. "Widow, Soldier," he greeted.

"Cap reports the remainder of the building has been secured," Widow informed him, her eyes doing a quick diagnosis of Darcy. A faint smile touched her lips as the brunette rolled her eyes.

"Good," Darcy declared. "I want either ice cream or liquor. These guys really screwed up my day and I'm down to those two options."

"You'll be able to come back to see the artwork," Coulson reminded her, but she shook her head.

"I wish," she told him, "but the show closes in a couple of days and I don't have another day off until the end of the week."

"Take tomorrow off." He guided her out of the room as the other two fell into step behind them.

She glared at him. "I've got three meetings, including one where I will be attempting to keep Tony and Fury from dissecting each other verbally. That does not even begin to count making sure all of the reports get turned in from today's little set-to, including my own. How the heck am I supposed to take tomorrow off?" Coulson just stared at her for a moment.

Soldier gave a small snort of amusement. He just shrugged when Darcy glanced back at him and gestured towards his earpiece. "Hawkeye wants to know if he can have the ice cream while Mom and Dad bicker."


	16. P is for Policemen

**P is for Policemen**

Darcy sat in the breakfast area reviewing the reports. She wanted to make sure they did not come back from SHIELD because one or more of the Avengers decided to play around. Steve, Natasha, and Bucky could be trusted to be accurate, detailed, and comprehensive, so she put theirs to the side. Thor simply required a quick read-thru to make sure he stuck to the basics and did not start turning the mission into a saga. Bruce's reports could be a bit of an adventure. If he finished them before science took his brain over, they tended to match her three A students, but if he didn't… Well, in those cases, half the report took on the appearance of science notes and she would have to track him down to get that half corrected. The last two Avengers gave her the most headaches. Tony tended to write the same way he thought and talked – stream of consciousness where the points may or may not be related. He would always get the information on there, but it required some editing before being sent off. Clint also wrote a lot like his usual behavior, but it was the exact opposite of Tony. Clint's reports were concise and spare on details. She had to buff his up a bit before marking them complete.

Why was she the report police again?

Oh, right, because Coulson gave her that _look_.

She sighed and began to pull Tony's report to her when the phone rang. She answered without bothering to check the caller id. "Hello?"

"This is Officer Michael Hannagan," a direct voice replied. "Is this Darcy?"

"Is this a crank call?" Darcy demanded as he just used the one name. She tapped on her tablet, cueing JARVIS to check the number.

"No, ma'am," Officer Hannagan hastened to assure her. "One of our cars brought in a man under the influence. We haven't been able to get his name, but he keeps repeating the name 'Darcy'. After checking his phone, this is the number attached to that name."

A chime on her tablet drew her attention. JARVIS confirmed her current call was indeed legitimate. Darcy frowned. "And you're not sure who he is?" she asked.

"No, ma'am," he replied apologetically. "He has no identification and just keeps repeating your name. We've tried determining his identity from his phone number, but it comes up unlisted." A tone of baffled surprise entered his voice. "There is no record of the number at all."

"What is the number?" Darcy asked and stiffened as he rattled it off. "You said he's under the influence?" she demanded as she swept up her purse and headed for the elevator.

"Yes, ma'am, he was brought in after being found in the local park, weaving and stumbling towards city hall."

"I am on my way," she informed him. "He's been attacked and I will handle things when I get there. For the moment keep him secure but away from anyone else."

"Ma'am, we can't just-"

"Oh, yes, you can," she interrupted as she punched the button for the garage. "First off, that's my husband and I will be bringing some identification. Secondly, you will be receiving a call shortly from his employer with orders to do the same. And yes," she continued, talking over his attempt to break into the conversation, "they have the authority to do that." Darcy hung up the phone and called SHIELD. "This is Darcy Lewis. We have a situation with a police department, enact plan Chameleon, target Alpha-Gamma-Omega." She gave them the information on the department from JARVIS and hung up. "And here I thought that plan was basically a joke," she muttered. Her purse included the proof she needed to pull it off, but really, who ever thought she would need to do it?

After a pickup by SHIELD and one quick quinjet flight, Darcy drove a rented car to the police station and marched into the front desk. "I'm looking for Office Hannagan." Her aggressive, no-nonsense attitude had people jumping to find him, and she could only hide a smile at realizing that what worked for crazed scientists and hyped heroes would work on law enforcement as well.

Maybe she should try it on Fury sometime? 

Before she could follow that thought further, an officer walked towards her. She lifted an eyebrow. "Officer Hannagan?"

"Yes, ma'am," he nodded, his gaze shifting as he recognized her voice.

"Excellent," she replied crisply. Holding out a driver's license, she continued, "I'm Darcy Coulson and I'm here for my husband." She focused on the officer. "You have received the call from his office?"

"Yes, ma'am," he agreed. "The FBI called just after you hung up. We've moved him into an office instead of a cell, but he's still… Agent Coulson is not well."

A fissure of alarm ran up her spine. "Take me to him."

Officer Hannagan led her to a small office and opened the door. Coulson stood on the opposite side of the room, his back to the corner. His eyes combed the room over and over again, focusing on the door only as they walked through it. The gray coolly raked the police officer from top to bottom, and Darcy could almost see him pinpointing targets and other weak areas. He was trembling, fine tremors running down his frame, and as he shifted his gaze to her, she could see the dilated pupils.

Oddly, instead of subjecting her to the same careful examination, the gray warmed and she could see the line of his shoulders relax. Good, he recognized her or at least knew she was a friend. Now she needed to get him out of here.

"Darcy."

The confused trust in his voice drew her forward. That particular tone had grown all too familiar since she started working with the Avengers. Tasha, Clint, Bucky – they all had it. She never expected to hear it from Coulson. It was a difficult tone to describe, but it combined this fear and panic with a certainty and trust that could break her heart. It meant they were caught in flashback or a memory and that they knew it, but also that they recognized the person as being outside of the replay. They were asking for help, help to get out of the maze their mind trapped them in.

Conscious of Officer Hannagan's presence, she stepped up close and placed a hand on Coulson's arm. "Hey," she said softly. "Time to go."

"Darcy," he looked at down at her.

"It's me," she agreed, "and I'm going to get you out of here."

His eyes flickered around the room, raking over the police officer once more. When the man stepped closer, Coulson reacted immediately, tucking Darcy into the corner behind him.

"No," Darcy ordered, staring at Officer Hannagan from around Coulson. "You, out."

"Ma'am-"

"Out!" As the officer left reluctantly, Coulson relaxed once more and Darcy slipped around in front of him. His eyes focused on her again and she smiled. "Okay, let's try this again. Barton is with me, and we're here to take you home."

Confusion colored his expression, proving to her just how much the drug was affecting him. "Barton's in Madripoor."

"Okay," Darcy blinked in surprise. Even unofficial SHIELD connections like her knew about Madripoor, and why would Clint ever have been sent there? It was as close to off-limits to SHIELD as any place could get in the known universe. "Not anymore," she said instead. "He's back and he came to help me get you home."

"Cover?" he asked, confirming he was still Coulson despite the drugs.

"Congratulations, sweetie," she smirked lightly as she handed him a wallet. "We're married."

One blink, then a second, and then his face moved into the usual neutral lines he wore for a job. He glanced at the license inside the wallet before putting it in his pocket. She could almost see him sliding effortlessly into the persona as they walked to the door. One of his hands came to rest on the small of her back and he shadowed her closely through the police station. She tried to ignore the warmth running over her skin. Now was so not the time. They collected his few belongings and signed off on the paperwork, Darcy assuring Officer Hannagan she would arrange for a report to be delivered for his files. She led him to the SUV as Hawkeye materialized out of the shadows.

"Sir," Hawkeye nodded.

"Let's go," Coulson ordered.

Darcy shook her head as she slipped into the backseat beside him, with Hawkeye at the wheel. "Just what I needed, another report."


	17. Q is for Queried

**Q is for Queried**

Darcy felt Coulson shadowing her closely all the way from the car to the jet. She had noticed it at the police station, but it was even more glaring here. Even with Hawkeye's presence, Coulson seemed to have gone into a hyper-alert, overprotective mode. The security at the local airport actually flinched back from the force of his gaze. Something in him seemed to wound tighter with every person they passed.

Once on the jet, with Hawkeye at the controls, he finally relaxed. She coaxed him into a seat and repressed her surprise as he pulled her down into the seat next to him. "Hey, what's going on?" she queried in the most soothing voice she could manage.

Fine tremors shook his form as his still drugged gaze skipped around the interior of the vehicle. Those confused eyes landed on her and focused. "Darcy," he said, almost as if reminding himself she was there. His hand remained wrapped around her wrist.

"Still here," she assured him. "Tell me what happened?" She didn't have to look to know that Hawkeye was paying careful attention as well.

"Hydra," he replied, a frown etching itself across his brow. "Traitor at SHIELD…they had too much."

Darcy breath caught and for a moment all she could see were white walls and cold eyes. Then she shook herself free of the memory. The wacky doc was still under careful lock and key, terrified of the apparently graphic warnings he received from Widow and Soldier. She didn't want to know.

"Remove the foundation and the structure collapses," he continued, rambling now in a way she really didn't like as his eyes began wandering once more. His words grew more slurred as he seemed to slowly relax into the seat behind him. "'Turning and turning in the widening gyre; the falcon cannot hear the falconer.' Center…" His voice trailed off.

Her concern growing, she tossed a look towards the front and met a pair of equally anxious blue eyes. 'Hawkeye' slipped to the side, the agent, the Avenger dropping away to let Clint step up. Her lips firmed. "Get us home."

"On it," he nodded and turned back to the controls with an intense fervor.

She felt the jet speed into the air as she focused on the man beside her once more. They needed to get any information they could as soon as possible. Coulson was going to be out of it and Hawkeye would need to get the ball rolling, especially with a traitor in the ranks. "I need you to look at me," she encouraged him. His muddled gaze met hers and she gave him a smile. "What happened?"

"Set up," he answered. She watched as his gaze sharpened just a touch, but enough that he almost seemed fully cognizant. Only the emotion hovering at his lips gave him away to anyone who knew him. "The trail was false…a trap. Just enough to draw a senior agent…wanted me."

Her blood went cold, but she forced herself to stay calm. "Why?"

"The two of us," he muttered, blinking hazily. The drug was really beginning to drag at him. "Either of us," he continued. "They want the team…captured, broken, dead."

"Hello, house arrest and security," she sighed in resignation.

"No shit," came the remark from the front of the jet.

She rolled her eyes as she heard Clint giving the information to JARVIS. If Widow and Soldier didn't meet them at the helicarrier, she be surprised. Her eyes moved back to Coulson, only to find him watching her. "Hey," she smiled.

He just stared at her for a long moment. "We have to keep you safe," he stated calmly, though still fuzzily.

"Yeah, yeah," she shook her head. "I know…and I won't even kick up a fuss." A gleam of disbelief tried to break through the clouds in his eyes and she waved it off. "For a little while anyway."

She could tell he wanted to argue with her, but his body was giving up on staying awake. In a move that stunned her, Coulson shifted sideways and lay across the seats, his head in her lap. He seemed to drop off immediately.

"He trusts you."

She looked up to meet Clint's gaze. There was a thin layer of amused playfulness over a much deeper well of serious affection. She frowned in confusion and he elaborated. "He would never have fallen asleep like that if he didn't trust you."

"He's drugged," she pointed out.

"Doesn't matter," Clint shrugged. "I've seen him hold reasonably steady in a worse state than that. He considers you…" His voice trailed off and she could see him trying to find the right word.

"Not dangerous?" she offered.

"Safe," he corrected. His blue eyes focused on her with startling intensity as his voice moved into the most serious tone she ever heard him use outside of a mission. "You're a safety zone for him now…a safe place. He doesn't have to hide from you." She could feel her mouth drop open slightly in sheer surprise and his lips quirked into a smile. "Why do you think he turned the team so completely over to your care?"

"Because I'm good at herding cats," she managed to get out around her shock.

He chuckled as he turned back to the controls. "That didn't hurt."

Darcy looked back down at the man sleeping so easily in her lap. Her fingertips whispered across his cheek even as she felt something unlock inside of her. A tiny kernel of warmth, repressed and hidden away, began to flicker to life once more.

They landed on the helicarrier, and Hawkeye, agent mask back in place, stepped outside to talk to Fury and to hold up the arriving medics. She began the process of trying to wake Coulson up. It took several attempts, but he finally blinked his eyes opened and stared up at her in bewilderment. She gave him a quick smile. "Hey, sleepyhead, you need to wake up now," she spoke softly. "Hawkeye's delaying the medics, but I don't know how long Fury will let him get away with that."

He sat up, moving with a distinct lack of his usual smooth grace. That had her eyes narrowing again, but she smoothed her expression out as he turned back to her. His eyes scanned her face. She didn't know what he was looking for, but she sat there and let him look his fill. After a long moment, something in the back of his gaze seemed to soften and sharpen all at the same time. He began to stand up, shakily, and she moved to help as he made his way slowly to the rear of the jet. He paused on the threshold and she looked up to once more meet that penetrating gaze.

"Coulson?" she prompted, a thread of worry entering her voice, and his brow knit in consideration.

"Call me Phil."

Before she could reply, he stepped outside and the medics swarmed around him like locusts. She stood in the doorway, still startled by the new pattern she seemed to have tripped into, as they hustled him away. Fury eyed her with for a long moment, his gaze measuring her against some scale in his head, before he gave her a respectful nod and turned to follow the medics. She walked out of the jet and stood on the deck of the helicarrier, watching the group grow smaller as they moved away.

"Told you," Clint said quietly as he stepped up to stand just behind her. One hand came to rest on her shoulder.

"Guess you did," she murmured. Her mind turned over all of the potential ramifications of this new outlook. Memories of previous conversations and meetings took on a new color from this new viewpoint.

"So," he continued, a definite teasing note saturating his voice, "does this mean I can really call you 'Mom' now?"


	18. R is for Ravishingly

**R is for Ravishingly**

The party was in full swing as Darcy sauntered into the bright, sparkling lights. It had been nearly a month since Phil's incident and they were no closer to determining the identity of the mole. Things were beginning to get tense at headquarters, but she refused to remain on house arrest any longer. Her eyes scanned the room as she paused to let one of the servers take her wrap. Several pairs of eyes flickered towards her, and she could feel others. The hint of a wicked smile hovered at the corners of her lips as she made her way gracefully down to the main floor. The plan appeared to be working.

She wanted all eyes on her tonight.

"Darcy!" Tony came sweeping up to her. "Don't you look ravishingly radiant?"

"Says the man who looks devilishly debonair," she replied with a laugh.

He waved it off with a grin before leaning in to brush her cheek with a kiss. "Pepper has abandoned me to talk business with a senator or something. Come and dance…we can make the entire room green with envy."

Only someone who knew him would catch the watchful expression in his eyes. The plan called for the most well-known and/or extroverted among them to be bright, vivid, and obvious. Tony, Pepper, Thor, Steve, and Darcy would be showing off as much as possible without being suspicious in the hopes of having attention focused on them. The SHIELD brass would be just as blatant, though in a quieter manner. Not that Fury ever needed help to stand out from a crowd, but Darcy's personal sources of information told her that both Phil and Maria were less than impressed over the whole affair.

Call her the cynical sort, but she placed bets on Maria giving Fury hell for months over this.

For her part, if it wasn't for the whole 'potentially dangerous' factor of the night, Darcy would be having the time of her life. Really, it had almost been a dream day for her. The plan meant she spent the whole day moving between spas, salons, and dressmakers. She could not remember how long it had been since she'd been able to spoil herself and today Tony met her at breakfast with a black credit card and the instructions to splurge all she wanted. He disappeared with a grin and final quip – "Don't worry about the plan; do it for Agent." She had rolled her eyes, but would never admit that Phil stayed in the back of her mind the entire time she prepped for the party. So here she stood in a vintage 'wiggle' dress which would be the epitome of modest if it didn't hug every single curve. It's velvety black color combined with her pale skin in such a way that drew the eyes up her curves to the deep crimson of her lips. She wore no jewelry, and only simple black heels. Truth be told, her lips were her only 'accessory' for the night.

"All right, Mr. Stark," she smiled with a hint of flirtatiousness. "Let's dance."

The two of them glided gracefully around the dance floor. It was possible to track their progress by the rise and fall of the buzzing chatter. Darcy rolled her eyes. "We are going to be all over the gossip pages tomorrow."

"I'll be highly disappointed if we're not," he smirked. "I love having my picture taken with the most gorgeous women in the room."

"I'm not landing on Pepper's hit list," she told him in a voice lit by amusement.

"Oh, excellent idea," Tony brightened, bringing them to a stop by the bar as the music changed. "We'll try and get a picture of all three off us."

Darcy tossed her head back as her laughter spilled over the room. Heads turned to find the source of the sparkling sound. Tony handed her a champagne flute, tapping his glass to hers as he winked. The chatter around them rose to new heights as Pepper suddenly appeared at his elbow. She took his champagne and smiled at Darcy.

"You two appear to be enjoying yourselves."

"Pepper! Light of my life, where have you been?" Tony exclaimed, lifting her hand to his lips. He accepted another glass from the waiter without looking. All of his attention was directed to the redhead at his side. The rest of the party could have disappeared at that moment, and Darcy doubted he would have noticed.

"Making sure the contracts for Stark Industries are properly lined up," Pepper answered, exchanging a look of resigned exasperation with Darcy.

Tony shook his head in false despair. "Boring, Pep. This is a party. That means no work. We're here to enjoy ourselves, maybe drink a little too much, and watch to see if anyone gets drunk enough to be stupid."

"Should we be monitoring your intake of alcohol?" Phil's dry voice entered the conversation.

"There you are, Agent," Tony replied without breaking stride. "Excellent timing!" Tony reached out and plucked Darcy's flute out of her hand. "Make sure Miss Stacked enjoys her evening. I'm going to steal Pepper away now." With a smirk and a wink, he whirled Pepper out onto the dance floor.

Darcy blinked big innocent eyes up at the sighing agent. "You have to admire his one track mind at times," she smiled.

"Actually," he started, before glancing down at her. He stopped, and she watched as he seemed to really take in her appearance as 'Darcy' instead of 'team member'. Something flashed in his gaze as it skimmed her before he slid the 'agent' mask back in place. _Mission accomplished,_ she thought even as he began to speak once more. "You seem to have taken your assignment rather seriously," he noted, giving a cool look to a staring fellow.

"The assignment said 'bold' and 'attention-grabbing'," she replied, lifting her hands in a small shrug. "I did my best."

"Hmmm," he hummed noncommittally as two more men walked past and eyed her. A third man started in their direction, his focus purely on her, and Phil moved to cut him off. Stepping in front of her, he held out a hand. "May I have this dance?"

Plan or no plan, mission or no mission, Darcy had to stamp down pretty hard on the internal part of her that started jumping with glee. She managed to restrain herself to a secretive little smile as she placed her hand in his. "I would love to," she replied.

Silence stretched between them for the first few moments of the dance. She let herself simply enjoy it as though it were simply a dance and nothing more. Finally he broke the silence. "I still don't like it."

"You had better be talking about the plan," she responded, her eyes lifting to meet his. "I'll be seriously irritated if you're talking about the dress."

"No," he replied, his eyes dropping before he pulled them up to focus on her face. "The plan puts you at too much risk."

She sighed. "I've got you right here," she pointed out patiently. "Bucky and Clint are in place and Tasha has been shadowing me all day. Thor has already promised dire vengeance on anyone who even looks at me strangely while Bruce's eyes have been glazing green any time we passed him. Tony's here, Steve is here…heck, I'm pretty sure half of SHIELD is here." He started to answer when a light jostle from a nearby couple prompted him to draw her in closer, away from them. Her body moved easily, without resistance, to curve closer to his and he fell silent. She smiled up at him. "Could we just enjoy the dance for a minute?"

His eyes capitulated and one corner of his mouth lifted ever so slightly. "Stark was right, you know," Phil said quietly. "You are…radiant."

At that moment, surrounded by espionage and intrigue, Darcy could almost feel the exact instant her heart simply clicked that last notch from 'crushing and attracted' into full-on 'head over heels'. Lips curving into a Mona Lisa smile, she shifted to rest her head on his chest. "I like it better when you say it."

A rough, familiar chuckle sounded in her ear, but he held her too tightly for her to move and look at him. She surrendered to his lead and let herself get lost in the moment. They could talk later.


	19. S is for Skullduggery

**S is for Skullduggery**

The music changed and Phil drew her to a stop near the edge of the dance floor. She pulled back slightly to smile up at him. Something in his eyes shifted and darkened. His head dipped a notch. "Darcy-"

A crash echoed throughout the room. She barely started to look around before he had her moving out a side door. A gun he seemed to produce out of thin air rested steady in one hand as his other hand settled on the small of her back. Despite her time surrounded by the insanity of the Avengers and SHIELD, her head spun at the speed of his reaction. "What…?" He shook his head once as he appeared to be listening to someone. "I hate those ear buds," she muttered, as she tried to hurry along beside him. Her dress was not built for running.

"Understood," he replied to the person talking in his ear. "Get the noncombatants out of the area." He paused. "I have her." There was another short pause. "Contain if possible." He made a light note of agreement. "Confirmed." He pulled her to a stop at a hallway junction. His eyes scanned the connecting hallways before glancing down to her. His expression appeared as stoic as ever, but she had begun making a hobby out of reading each line and shadow on his face and in his eyes.

"What is it?" she asked, her heart rate picking up. The concern hidden in his gaze told her this was more than just SHIELD's usual overprotective attitude towards assets.

"HYDRA," he replied quietly. "Or some of their minions. They appear to have lost patience and jumped for the bait."

Ignoring the jolt of fear that ran up her spine, she forced her face into an expression of petulance. "Oh, well, damn," she said, lips forming a small moue of amused irritation. "Now I owe Bucky fifty dollars."

An odd light entered his eyes. It seemed to blend amusement, disbelief, exasperation, and affection all in one glance. "The two of you had a bet going on this?" he asked as he began moving her down the bland hallway once more.

"Technically," she started with a semi-guilty smile, "I had three bets going. When everything settles out, I think I'll end up twenty dollars ahead, but I still hate losing." He muttered something, but she could not quite make it out. "That better not be an insult."

He paused at the next junction and then drew her to the left. "Never," he assured her. The sound of running feet drew their attention and his eyes scanned the area quickly. "In here." Opening a door, he pulled her in and shut the door quietly behind them.

Darcy's lips twitched in amusement as she took in their surroundings. He appeared too busy listening to the movements in the hallway, but she found it a little ironic that of all places he could pull her into, he managed to choose a janitor's closet. "How cliché," she muttered under her breath.

He turned and raised an eyebrow at her before taking in the closet. With the smallest of headshakes, he moved back towards the door. A long moment passed and then he leaned against the doorjamb. "They've moved away from the door," he told her in a low voice. "The group has slowed down and seem to be searching a bit more carefully."

She blinked at him before her gaze swung up to the ceiling. "Clint?" she asked just as quietly.

"He's watching them from the vents a few hallways over. Once they're out of range we'll continue down to the garage."

"Oh?" Her eyebrows flew up. "Does this mean I finally get to meet Lola?" He blinked and she shrugged. "I'm beginning to feel a little miffed that I haven't met her yet."

One corner of his mouth twitched. "I was unaware you felt so left out." She lifted one shoulder slightly, lower lip moving into a pout, and his eyes dropped. Something dark flickered in his gaze. He lifted a hand and brushed back a lock of her hair. Tucking it behind her ear, he let his fingertips trail down her jawline and his thumb stroked over her lip.

She trembled.

The darkness hovered at his lips for a moment before he released her to touch his ear bud. "Affirmative," he replied to the caller even as his eyes never left her. "We're moving out." He reached for the doorknob with one hand as the other went to her arm. "Time to meet Lola." As she pulled herself together and slipped past him in the doorway, he leaned down close to her ear. "We'll have to work on our communication."

The promise implicit in that sentence left her more breathless than the rush down three flights of stairs. She followed him blindly, her mind concentrating on the sudden intensity of his attention to argue. It seemed that once Agent Phil Coulson of SHIELD made up his mind on something, he did not bother to lollygag around. Given the single minded, not to mention highly detailed focus he gave to any task… The idea of being at the center of that focus?

It boggled the mind.

They entered the garage, his attention swinging from one end to the other quickly. Tasha slipped into view at the far end for a brief moment, just long enough to nod. Phil returned the nod and holstered his weapon. Guiding Darcy with a hand at her back, he led her to a gorgeous red 1962 Chevrolet Corvette. "This is Lola."

It was enough to bring her at least partially out of her haze. "Oh, woah," Darcy murmured. "Aren't you a beauty?" Her hand reached out, but she never made contact with the metal. She just grazed her hand along the line of the hood, hovering in admiration.

Phil gave her a grateful look as he opened her door. Her brow knotted in confusion, and she gave him a questioning glance when he slid into the driver's seat. "Everyone tries to touch," he replied to the unanswered question.

"My daddy and my uncles taught me better than that," she sniffed. "You don't touch a baby like this without permission or you deserve to lose the hand."

Another hint of a smile touched his mouth. "Good," he said simply before pulling out of the parking space.

"So," she asked after a few minutes of driving. "What happened?"

His eyes moved from one mirror to the next before glancing at her. "They took the bait, but jumped too early. Everyone got out safely and SHIELD is rounding up the squads."

"Squads?" she asked. "Plural?"

"It looks like they wanted to be sure of themselves." A thread of worry entered his expression. "Darcy-"

"Nope," she interrupted quickly. "There will be no take backs, retreats, or lane changing in this thing we've got going on. I don't care what kind of skullduggery the bad guys come up with, I'm not living my life or my choices out of fear, and I'm not letting you do it either." His expression did not change and her voice grew more challenging. "And don't think I won't drag the others into this. The triplets are already on my side, and so is Tony."

He sighed, but relaxed enough to chuckle before asking, "Exactly how did you manage to steal my spies anyway?"

Her laughter spilled into the night behind them as they sped along the highway. "I just applied the main lesson I picked up from watching my parents," she explained with her brightest smile. "Dads threaten or reward; Moms bribe."


	20. T is for Trouper

**T is for Trouper**

A soft beeping noise woke Darcy from a deep sleep and a lovely dream. She sat up with a groan, reaching for her phone. Only then did she realize the beeping was not her alarm. Frowning, she looked around.

"JARVIS?" she asked in a bewildered tone as she looked at the time. "It's three in the morning."

"My apologies, Miss Lewis," JARVIS replied in what she would swear was a chagrined tone. "I regret awakening you, but I believe your..." Here the AI paused as if searching for an appropriate word. Darcy pulled herself out of bed and began putting on her robe. Anything that required JARVIS to put on his most tactful personality was probably not good. He finally continued. "I believe your input will be needed to…'keep the peace' I believe fits the situations."

"Situations?" she asked, halfway through pulling on her slippers. "Situations…as in plural?"

"I am afraid so, Miss Lewis."

"List them off, please, JARVIS," she sighed.

"Mr. Stark, Dr. Banner, Dr. Ross, and Dr. Foster are currently having a highly volatile discussion in the main laboratory over the appropriate placement for the third connection point of the Bifrost."

Darcy nodded. "Situation one, scientists."

"Indeed," JARVIS agreed solemnly. "Agents Romanoff, Barton, and Barnes are currently gathered in the secondary kitchen discussing punitive actions against suspected collaborators with the recent attempts on the life of Agent Coulson as well as your abduction."

"Situation two, spies." She drew in a slow breath.

"Captain Rogers and Prince Thor are on the roof of the building discussing battles and demonstrating fighting techniques while imbibing alcoholic beverages."

"Situation three, super guys."

Darcy leaned against her wall thinking things over for a few moments. "Okay, J.," she looked up towards the ceiling. "Please tell me Phil is still in the building?"

"Agent Coulson is currently asleep in his room," JARVIS confirmed.

"Thank you," she acknowledged happily. She grabbed her phone and dialed. It rang…once…twice…

"It's three o'clock in the morning." His answer was direct and to the point, but she could hear a note of exasperation in there.

"No kidding," Darcy chirped out. "It is definitely ridiculous o'clock in the morning."

The sigh told her she was definitely talking to Phil as opposed to Agent Coulson. "Darcy-"

"Sorry for the wake-up call," she continued blithely, "but since you're here, do you want spies or scientists?"

There was a long pause on the other end of the line. "Apparently," Phil's driest voice sounded in her ear, "I needed sleep even more than the director thought. Your question seems to be missing pertinent details."

"Do you know you sound more lucid when half-asleep than most people do after getting a good night's sleep?" she mused curiously.

"Darcy."

"Steve and Thor are on the roof talking shop," she told him, humor threading through her voice. "They're also drinking, but I'm not sure why. Steve can't get drunk and Earth alcohol might as well be water for all the impact it makes on Thor. I'm not really worried about the super guys, but I know how you are about details."

After a moment's pause, Phil spoke once more. "What are the other two groups doing?"

She could hear him moving around and her lips began to curve. "Apparently all four scientists decided that it was a perfect time to have an argument over where the next Bifrost connection point should be."

"Of course they did," he noted calmly. "Sleep is hardly a necessity when balanced with the possibility of science to be done."

"Very good," she laughed. "You speak scientist almost as well as I do."

"And the 'spies'?" he asked, breaking into her amusement.

"The triplets seem to be less than happy with the people who put targets on you and me," she told him. "They are planning their own version of mischief, murder, and mayhem. I haven't checked yet to figure out who's responsible for what, but I'd presume Clint will be making mischief while Tasha handles the murder and Bucky starts the mayhem."

His heavy sigh came over the line. "I'll take the spies," he told her.

"In that case, Trouper Lewis is off to corral scientists," Darcy laughed.

"Trooper?" Phil's tone grew amused.

"Not like a state trooper," she replied as she headed for the labs. "'Trouper' as in 'a reliable, uncomplaining person'. I figure I get to claim the title since I'm going to go to the lab and not tase them despite being woken up at an insane hour of the night. I think it qualifies."

"Naturally," he agreed in quiet amusement.

"Does it ever worry you about what might happen if we both are out of the house for longer than twenty-four hours?" she asked suddenly.

A much longer pause greeted her words. Finally he replied in a strained voice. "I would appreciate it if you did not attempt to give me nightmares." Something undefinable filtered into his voice. "You interrupt my sleep enough as it is."

"What-" she started.

"I'm at the kitchen," he interrupted, his voice retuning to its steady tone. "I shall let you know the outcome of my discussion afterwards."

"Okay," she agreed. He hung up and she stared at the phone in her hands. "Did he really just imply…"

"You may wish to hurry, Miss Lewis," JARVIS spoke up suddenly.

Her head came up and she hurried towards the elevator. "Oh, right, scientists." Even as the elevator began to drop down towards the labs, she had to smile. So she was interrupting his sleep pattern, was she? _Good,_ she thought, _turnabout is definitely fair play._


	21. U is for Ungrateful

_Speaking as an endowed woman – this does happen and it does hurt. For the record – remaining silent is just as bad, if not worse, than speaking up._

**U is for Ungrateful**

Darcy stepped into the central administrative department, a friendly smile sitting on her face. She had never been down here before as Phil usually picked up the reports personally. He was stuck in meetings all day today, so she agreed to drop them off. Her eyes combed the room before stepping up to the central desk. "Here are the reports from the team for the latest mission in California," she told the dark-haired woman sitting there. "This should be the last of the stuff you need to close the file."

The woman lifted one severely tweezed eyebrow. Her gaze looked Darcy up and down before a disdainful look settled on her face. "I shall be the judge of that," she said with a light sneer. "SHIELD's files must be complete in order to be closed and I sincerely doubt you've had much to do with this kind of work."

"Excuse me?" Darcy demanded, surprised at the woman's attitude.

"Thank you for the reports," the woman replied frostily. She turned away to begin scanning the paperwork.

Darcy looked around the room. Only a handful of the others appeared to have overheard the conversation. A couple of them smirked over their work while two others held a quick whispered conversation. The others gave her silent, apologetic looks. A confused frown on her face, Darcy decided it wasn't worth making a scene over and she began to make her way out of the room. She heard the whispered comments just as she reached the door.

"Guess that proves Coulson's a breast man," remarked an unknown woman.

A man snorted, "Hell, it proves Coulson's human."

Taking a deep breath, Darcy forced herself to keep moving. She stalked to the elevator. It took a good deal of effort, but she managed to keep her temper under control all the way out of the building and back to the tower. As she stood in the private elevator, she let her eyes focus on the empty wall. "JARVIS, where is everybody?"

"Miss Potts has been called to a board meeting," the AI answered immediately. "Mr. Stark and Dr. Banner are in the laboratories. Prince Thor, Dr. Foster, Captain Rogers, and Dr. Ross have chosen to go to Prince Thor's favorite restaurant for lunch. Agent Barnes is currently on the roof while Agent Romanoff is in the large gym. Agent Barton is in the secondary kitchen."

Darcy nodded. "I'm going to the small gym. Please don't let anyone disturb me unless there is an emergency."

"Of course, Miss Lewis," JARVIS agreed.

She strode into the small gym and pulled out the various stress balls. They had been specially designed for people to toss around the room whenever they felt the need to really cut loose in some way. Pepper made sure to keep them stocked in order to save the dishes. Darcy simply sat on the floor beside them, picking up a bright blue one. Tossing it from hand to hand, she considered the encounter at SHIELD. It wasn't like this was the first time she had ever faced this kind of attitude. As soon as someone got a look at her, they started subtracting IQ points. For some reason people seemed to think a generous rack took away from brain power – as if the bust and the brain were connected or had to balance in some way. Women were the worst. Men might treat her as brainless and spend too much time talking to her chest, but women tended to get vicious, often being verbally or emotionally cruel. Men like that considered her a potential conquest, but women only saw a potential rival.

Now she was going to have to deal with it at SHIELD.

Coming to her feet, Darcy tossed the ball across the room as hard as she could. "Of all the ungrateful…!" Her voice trailed off as she picked up and threw one ball after another. It infuriated her. All of the work and time and effort she put into making sure the reports were readable and complete in order to prevent trouble at SHIELD and this was the type of attitude she got. There would be gossip and looks and who knew what else being discussed in the break room and over the water coolers at headquarters.

Time passed – she didn't know how long. Suddenly the door opened. "JARVIS," she growled, not even looking around.

"My apologies, Miss Lewis," the AI spoke, a hint of embarrassment in its voice.

"He still has to do what I tell him – no matter what other orders he gets."

She looked around to find Tony walking into the room. A sigh escaped her as most of the household followed him through the door. "Do I even want to know?" she asked in a tired voice. She shook her head. "What happened? What's wrong?"

"I think those are our questions," Steve replied, his gaze scanning the balls littering the room. "JARVIS only told us you were apparently upset over something."

"Maybe you want to tell us about it, Doll?" Bucky commented from where he leaned against the wall.

Darcy's eyes dropped and she shuffled slightly. "It's nothing," she said quietly.

"Don't even start," Jane huffed. Everyone turned towards the scientist as the woman walked straight over to Darcy. She put her hands on Darcy's arms and gave her the tiniest shake. "You were fine when you went to SHIELD. We saw you before you left. You were happy and smiling. Who did or said what?"

Darcy looked at Jane for a long moment before eyeing the others. Everyone had focused on her, waiting for her answer. She shook her head. "Really, it's nothing I haven't gotten before. I've dealt with it since junior high. I guess I should find it halfway comforting that SHIELD's administrative department is just as cliquish as any other big company."

"Cliquish?" Tasha asked, her voice a cool thread in the room.

"Just some bad attitudes," Darcy tried to assure her.

"What bad attitudes?"

The new voice drew everyone's attention. Darcy repressed a wince as she met Phil's eyes. "Oh, boy," she muttered, dropping her gaze to the ball in her hand. She listened as Pepper softly explained.

"Darcy?" Phil's questioning voice had grown closer.

She lifted her head and sighed again as she realized he now stood in front of her. "It's noth-"

"Darcy."

"Really-"

"Darcy." Now his voice, though still calm and steady, demanded an answer.

It was the one tone of voice she could not resist. "I took the reports to headquarters," she told him as the rest of them listened in. "Let's just say I was met with attitude and then got to overhear some commentary on my way out." Her lips pursed. "It…irritated me."

"It hurt you," Clint broke in. She gave him a look, and he shrugged. "If it just irritated you, you might have ranted or raved, but you wouldn't have holed up this way."

Thor spoke before she could reply. "Why did you choose to hide away on your own? Did you not know we would gladly give you our support in this?"

Darcy shook her head, but remained quiet. Betty tilted her head, a sudden understanding entering her face. "She didn't want us involved," the other brunette's quiet voice filling the silence.

"It's not like there's anything that can be done," Darcy replied, her eyes wandering from one face to another. "I know you guys like to jump up and do the heroic thing, but…you can't change attitudes. People are people." Her shoulders rolled in a shrug.

"There was one thing we could do," Bruce pointed out. Darcy's eyebrows went up and he smiled at her. "We can keep you company." He gave a soft chuckle. "It's not as though you lot let me deal with things by myself."

Murmurs and nods of agreement filled the room. She looked from one face to another and could only see expressions of support, love, friendship. A warm feeling of gratitude welled up inside her. Laughter bubbled up and spilled over. It seemed like that was the sign everyone needed. Shoulders relaxed, people smiled, and the group began to break up. As people trickled out of the room, Phil stepped up beside her.

"I can handle the reports from now on," he offered.

"Oh, no," she said, her voice taking on an icy edge. "I'm not letting them run me off just because they're being stupid. I can handle this."

A light of approval entered his eyes. "Then we should probably check on the others to make sure no one is planning to 'handle' things on their own. I believe I heard Stark asking JARVIS to find out the full story."

She blinked and then started walking quickly towards the door. "Oh, for goodness' sake! You have got to be kidding me!"


	22. V is for Value

**V is for Value**

Darcy gave a bland smile to a knot of politicians as she made her way towards the bar. One thing about working for Tony and Pepper – she actually used the political science degree she had earned. To be precise, she used the analytical and diplomatic stuff she learned…and to a degree probably unheard of outside of the United Nations. She decided she was glad she learned all of it, but she realized she would have hated spending day in and day out immersed in a full cycle of politics…it was all a mess of glad handing and snake charming. At least she only had to deal with the insanity at specific functions.

She would happily spend the majority of her time herding heroes and wrangling scientist rather than pampering the spoiled kids of the Hill.

A small chuckle escaped under her breath as she thought of how insulted the politicians would be if they knew she thought they were more spoiled than Tony. Stepping up to the bar, she placed an order for her favorite pomegranate martini and waited, her eyes wandering the room. She needed to gauge the party and see where she might be able to either help move things along or break up tension.

"You look much too serious for a party."

The smooth voice drew her attention around to a slick, up-and-comer type somewhere around her age. His dark hair held a studied 'playful' tousle slightly at odds with the neatly pressed suit while the hint of a five o'clock shadow lent a bit of an edge. His face blended interest and gentility.

_I wonder how long it took him to perfect that look. _Her eyebrow rose in cool consideration. _I suppose he's cute enough, but…_ "Not all of us are present for recreational purposes," she replied, voice professional and detached.

"Ah," he nodded, his smile losing a little of the politeness even as his eyes sharpened. "I wasn't aware anyone would be _working _this little gathering." The emphasis he put on the 'working' raised her hackles. The tone of his voice also shifted, losing the sense of an attracted equal and gaining an edge of superiority. Before she could say anything, he moved a step closer and a calculating light entered his gaze as it swept over her. "Perhaps you could tell me more about your work over a dance?" he asked in a low voice. "I'm sure we could come to a mutually satisfactory agreement-"

"Just who do you think you are talking to?" she interrupted, not bothering to keep her voice quiet. She didn't care who this guy was – he had just stepped over a line and she knew her bosses would back her even if it completely disrupted the party.

Color rose in his cheeks as nearby guests turned to stare. "What do you mean?"

"Please," she rolled her eyes. "I don't know who you think you are, but let me assure you, your chances with me are pretty much equivalent to a snowball's chance in the Sahara." Then her eyebrows lifted. "Or maybe you've just had a bit too much to drink?" It wasn't much, but she tried offering him a way to get out of this without losing too much face. She didn't care either way, but she knew both Phil and Pepper would prefer it.

She could see his temper spike as his lips thinned. "I haven't had anything-"

She interrupted him. "It's really the only potentially reasonable explanation I can have for you mistaking a PA for whatever your prurient thought processes have come up with. I recommend you take it and move along." She turned away.

He grabbed her arm, wrenching her around. "Just a damn-"

"Is there an issue here?"

Both of them looked around at the carefully contained question. Phil stood there, expression cool but eyes intent. He focused on the man's hand on her arm before flickering up to the other fellow's face. His gaze seemed to go flat as it locked with the stranger's.

The man paled and began to speak, "I…uh, I was just about to…uh-"

"He was just leaving," Darcy announced, eyes moving around the crowd beginning to gather.

"No, I-"

"Excellent," Phil cut in. "We can arrange to have your vehicle brought around."

The man frowned. "Actually I-"

"Let me take care of that."

Darcy almost sighed as yet another familiar voice joined the conversation. She glanced around to see Bucky…her eyes narrowed on his face…no, _Soldier_ join the gathering. His sniper persona very much took over his expression at the moment. Her gaze caught his. "Just get him to his car," she told him.

"Naturally," he replied, giving her a reassuring smile.

It didn't reach his eyes.

"Wait a minute!" The man started to put up a protest, but his voice died away as he was moved inexorably away from the bar and towards the door.

"Oh, for…" Darcy sighed and turned to look at Phil. He gently took her arm and moved her away from the bar, leading her out of the room. She shook her head. "He was just-"

"An insulting annoyance who thought he could place a value on you," Phil finished for her. He led her into one of the many private sitting rooms in the tower. Tony hated not having an escape hatch from time to time so every single public floor contained three to five rooms only accessible by _his_ people. It gave all of them somewhere to rest even during these kind of events.

She relaxed down on one of the comfortable couches scattered around the room. "And what kind of value should I have then?" Her voice took on an unmistakably teasing quality as her eyes met his.

Phil leaned a hip on the arm of the couch. The fingers of one hand toyed with a few dark locks of her hair. "Priceless," he replied, voice steady and matter-of-fact.

Her breath caught at the very simplicity of it. His eyes contained no shadows, no masks…they were beacons of pure sincerity. She blinked and then forced herself to take a deep breath. For a long moment she considered her own heart and compared it to what she knew of his emotions in this little give-and-take game they had been playing. She made a decision.

She rose and turned to face him. He did not move even as she stepped closer, watching her as she invaded his personal space to a degree they had not yet crossed. "Priceless?" she repeated in a tone that was not quite questioning. "That's one heck of a high bar to reach." Her hands came to rest on his shoulders as her eyes locked on his.

"And yet you succeeded," he replied, remaining still as his gaze stayed steady on hers. A long speaking look passed between them and then he rose to his feet, bringing him even closer to her. With the height difference, her hands slipped down to his waist. One of his hands reached for her chin, capturing it between thumb and finger. He tilted her face up and his eyes traced over her face.

She drew in a breath to speak, only to be cut off as he leaned down and captured her mouth with his. Her eyes slipped closed as his lips moved over hers – strong, fierce, and demanding, nothing stoic or restrained. His kiss revealed a whole new side to him that intrigued her. Apparently he'd been hiding more beneath the surface than she had realized. He possessed a layer of something primal underneath the tailored suits and stoic mannerisms. His free hand moved to the back of her head, tangling in her hair, as he deepened the kiss. Her hands clenched at his waist as the kiss became near bruising in its intensity.

Slowly, so very slowly he pulled back. Her eyes blinked open, taking longer than usual to focus, but catching the hint of satisfaction in his face. His thumb traced feather-light over her bottom lip as his curved into that slight smile he gave to her only. "Absolutely priceless."


	23. W is for Wound

_Author's Note – this chapter was written in a slight experiment. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it._

**W is for Wound**

"_Did they find him?"_

"_Tasha's gone to retrieve him."_

"_Good. She'll want him here."_

She could hear voices. The concern reached her through the velvet blackness surrounding her. It seemed to be a thick blanket cocooning her, keeping away all of the stuff she could feel trying to press in on her. Little sensations were slipping through – like sounds. Besides the ongoing babble of voices, she heard a beeping sound. The beeps followed a regular rhythm, a familiar one, but she could not quite place it. She knew that sound. What was it?

"_Did they catch the jackass?"_

"_Not yet…the police are warning us they probably won't be able to find him."_

"_What?"_

Someone was unhappy. That voice vibrated with anger and concern. She started trying to move through the darkness. Where before it comforted her, now it felt cloying and restricting. Moving through it made her think of trying to swim through half melted marshmallows. Time seemed to move strangely in this odd dark morass. Voices changed and moved and it made it more difficult to keep straight. Finally though, as her mind began moving and stretching, she finally placed the beeping sound. It was a heart monitor.

Why was she hearing a heart monitor?

"_What did the doctor say?"_

"_Physically she's fine. It's bumps and bruises mostly. She took a good knock to the head and that was the wound that worried them most."_

"_She'll be okay though, right?"_

"_It wasn't as bad as it looked. According to the doctors, her body's just letting itself heal and recover."_

She could almost put names to the voices now. A little bit further and she might be able to recognize who was doing the talking. Smells were starting to impinge on her now. The too-clean smell of bleach barely masked by some kind of citrus assailed her. Adding that to the heartbeat monitor and the talk of a doctor…she had to be in a hospital.

Why was she in a hospital?

She couldn't remember.

There were other scents – all of them familiar. As each scent came to her it brought up a name. The distinctness of sharp peppermint came from her left – _Jane _– while the comfort of rosemary closed in on her right – _Clint_. She could pick up others. Sage _(Steve)_, Vanilla _(Betty)_, Green Tea _(Bruce), _and Spearmint _(Thor)_ filtered through the area around her. The barest hints of pine _(Tony)_, citrus _(Pepper)_, and patchouli _(Bucky)_ assured her they had been there recently.

Two scents were missing. Where was the cinnamon _(Tasha)_ and particularly, where was the sandalwood? Where was Phil?

That question propelled her even further out of the blackness towards the slowly dawning light before her. Her mind managed to click and link the names and scents to the voices that had been moving around her since she came to in the thick darkness. Slowly her mind began cataloging the other sensations her mind picked up. She could feel the soft, cool sheets beneath her. They felt too fine for hospital sheets…even SHIELD hospital sheets. It must be one of Tony's private places. She would have to thank him later.

Not that he would accept it, but she would do it anyway.

"_You know he's going to be seriously unhappy, right?"_ That was Jane. Who was going to be unhappy? And why?

"_Unhappy? No, really?"_ Clint needed to cut down on the sarcasm…especially towards Jane. _"He's been gone for less than forty eight hours and she's already in trouble."_

"_The Son of Coul will not accord any blame for such an unforeseeable accident."_ Thor did a good job at being reassuring.

So there had been an accident? Something was wrong and they were worried about Phil's reaction?

Now she definitely needed to wake up. It seemed like they needed her to run some interference. She couldn't figure out why it was so difficult to wake up. Granted, she usually needed a good strong mocha to jumpstart her day, but even without that it should not be this hard to wake up.

"_Bucky called and he's picked them up. They're coming straight here."_ Steve's voice held equal parts of concern and reassurance. What was he concerned about and who was he reassuring? This would be so much easier if she knew what was going on.

It would be ridiculously easier if she could just wake up!

"_The front desk says Nuada, Agent, and Nat just arrived." _ The pine scent spiked, telling her Tony was now here. She must have lost some time.

"_They are on their way up."_ Yes, there was Pepper's voice and her clear citrus scent softened the sharp pine.

She could tell no one else had left – their voices and scents mingled, reminding her of movie nights in the private theater or game nights in the big family room. Only a thin layer of blackness seemed to stand between her and the others. It felt like some kind of steel and she grew tired as she pushed against it. She wanted to wake up. They needed her and she couldn't just surrender back to the darkness dragging at her feet.

"_Every so often her face shifts expressions and I expect her to wake up."_ Betty sounded tired. Someone should get her to take a nap. When was the last time the woman had slept?

"_She will."_ Bruce sounded confident. _"She's just resting. Sometimes the body just needs a little extra time and space. We never give it and then when something like this happens? The body takes control and flips the switch until enough healing has occurred."_

A strange sense of unease began to creep up on her. The little clues were adding up, even in her rattled and hazy mind. A door opened before she could finish forcing them to line up. A wave of new scents entered the room. The wave held an earthy blend of patchouli, cinnamon, and…there it was. There was the scent she had been waiting on.

It was sandalwood – Phil's signature scent among the family.

"_Found him."_ Tasha's voice held cool satisfaction along with a thread of concern.

"_The Council's a little unhappy." _It didn't sound like Bucky actually cared – more like he was stating a point. _"I pulled them both out of mandatory debriefing. Fury and Hill are running interference."_

Mutters of discontent and indifference filled her ears, but she paid no attention. All of her focus centered on the growing scent of sandalwood. Someone took her hand and then she felt Phil's hand in her hair. His scent, his presence overwhelmed the other sensations. He was so close. If she could just get through that last layer of darkness…

She began to claw at the black wall, ignoring her exhaustion – she wanted to wake up, to see Phil.

"_Wake up, sweetheart." _There was his voice. _"You have to wake up now." _His murmurs filled her ears.

One breath, two breaths…anchoring herself to his scent and his voice, she made one final massive swing at the darkness separating them. She swung with all of her heart, mind, and soul.

It shattered, falling away like smoke-filled glass.

Darcy blinked, the light feeling strange to her eyes before she focused on the man in front of her. She ignored the sudden burst of excited sound to meet his worried gaze. "Hey," she managed to whisper, "you're late."

No one could miss the sheer relief in his eyes, but his lips curved only slightly. "Sorry about that…traffic." He brought her hand to his cheek and let his eyes close for a moment.

She looked around, noticing how everyone gathered close, and gave a tired smile. "I need a nap," she said and her smile grew as the entire group started laughing, chuckling, or smiling, whichever fit them best.

"Get some rest then," Phil told her. "Don't worry about anything. It's covered." He tilted his head towards they team. "They're covered. You can take that nap now."

"Okay, good," she replied in a scratchy, yawning voice. "Night."

Darcy drifted off to a healing sleep, feeling warm and protected in the circle of her family. She would deal with whatever the problem was after she woke up…whatever it was.


End file.
